Stephen J. Cannell Television Productions: A History of All Series and Pilots

by Jon Abbott

Overview

The face of 1980s television was shaped by a man who stayed behind the scenes. Stephen Cannell's reluctant white knights--put-upon private eye James Rockford, World War II fly-boys the Black Sheep Squadron, hapless superhero Ralph Hinckley, fugitive mercenaries the A-Team, and maverick cop Hunter--traversed the television landscape from the 1970s to the 1990s. Cannell changed the face of the action-adventure genre, updating the crime-show format with a hybrid of rebellious morality, juvenile wit, intelligent sarcasm, and radical conservatism. This book discusses in detail the programs of the writer-producer and lists every episode of his award-winning productions from the early 1970s to the early '90s. The book features publicity photos and descriptions of unsold pilots.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786441730
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	07/15/2009
Pages:	394
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Freelance writer Jon Abbott has written more than 400 articles on American television and related topics for more than 20 magazines. He lives in Brighton, England.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction     

Part One: Beginnings
The Rockford Files: September 1974–January 1980     
Baretta: January 1975–May 1978     
City of Angels: February 1976–May 1976     
Black Sheep Squadron: September 1976–April 1978     
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye: March 1978–April 1978     
The Duke: April 1979–May 1979     
Stone: January 1980–March 1980     
Unsold Pilots (1)     

Part Two: The Golden Years
Tenspeed and Brownshoe: January 1980–June 1980     
The Greatest American Hero: March 1981–February 1983     
The Quest: October 1982–November 1982     
The A-Team: January 1983–December 1986     
Hardcastle and McCormick: September 1983–May 1986     
Rousters: October 1983, June 1984–July 1984     
Riptide: January 1984–April 1986     
Unsold Pilots (2)     

Part Three: From L.A. to Canada
Hunter: September 1984–April 1991     
Stingray: March 1986–May 1987     
The Last Precinct: April 1986–May 1986     
21 Jump Street: April 1987–May 1991     
Wiseguy: September 1987–December 1990     
J.J. Starbuck: September 1987–February 1988     
Sonny Spoon: February 1988–December 1988     
Unsub: February 1989–April 1989     
Unsold Pilots (3)     

The Wrap-Up     
Sources of Quotations     
Bibliography     
Index