SPELLING, AARON

SPELLING, AARON (1923–2006). U.S. television producer, writer, and actor. Born in Dallas, Texas, Spelling enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942 and served in Europe during World War II. He briefly worked as a reporter for the Army's newspaper, Stars and Stripes, and produced theatrical events for the Army's special services branch. After attending the University of Paris for one year, Spelling returned to Texas in 1946 to study drama at Southern Methodist University under the GI Bill. There he wrote several plays, two of which took Eugene O'Neill Awards. After graduating in 1950, he directed local theater and then moved to Los Angeles, where he began acting in television programs. He returned to writing and in 1956 sold a script, Unrelenting Sky, to Zane Grey Theater. Spelling continued writing for the program and in 1960 was named producer of the series. He continued creating and producing shows, including The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–63) and Burke's Law (1963–66). In 1968, Spelling hit it big with the action series The Mod Squad (1968–73), kicking off similar shows, such as The Rookies (1972–76), S.W.A.T. (1975–77), Starsky and Hutch (1975–79), and Charlie's Angels (1976–81). In 1976, Spelling and Mike Nichols took a chance with Family (1976–80), but the Emmy-nominated series about a middle-class family that was a win with critics failed to find its audience. Spelling also sought to balance his lighter fare with socially responsible television movies, such as The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) and The Best Little Girl in the World (1981). Riding high from his success with Charlie's Angels, Spelling introduced shows that blended action with glitz, such as Love Boat (1977–84), Fantasy Island (1978–84), Vega$ (1978–81), and Hart to Hart (1979–84). In 1981, Spelling further refined his formula for commercial success by focusing on the trials and tribulations of the wealthy with Hotel (1983–88), Dynasty (1981–89), and its spin-off The Colbys (1985–87). His first feature film was the hit family comedy, Mr. Mom (1983). Just as the late 1980s saw a decline in Spelling's appeal, the launch of the Fox network helped reinvigorate his empire with more youth-oriented shows, such as Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000) and Melrose Place (1992–9). In 1993, Spelling produced HBO's And the Band Played On, an expose of the social, political, and personal realities of AIDS. After producing more than 200 television shows, Spelling said he had found personal satisfaction in the success of 7th Heaven (1996–2006), a television series about a functional religious family. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: A. Spelling, in: St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 5 vols. (2000); A. Spelling, in: Contemporary Authors Online (Thomson Gale, 2004). (Adam Wills (2nd ed.)