Aaron Spelling

Biography: Aaron Spelling started out as an actor in the '50s, then segued into writing before finding his true calling as a producer in the '60s. And what a calling it was: fan favorites such as Charlie's Angels; The Love Boat; Beverly Hills, 90210 (which launched the career of his daughter Tori); Melrose Place; Starsky and Hutch; Dynasty; and Charmed were just a few of the shows he worked on. His formula was to take a simple premise and liven it up with good-looking players, both up-and-comers (Heather Locklear on Dynasty and T.J. Hooker, Shannen Doherty on 90210 and Charmed) and stars of yesteryear (Ricardo Montalban on Fantasy Island, Robert Wagner on Hart to Hart). Even in his sixties and seventies, he was uncannily in touch with the youth market, producing series that appealed to viewers young enough to be his grandchildren. From his breakthrough ('60s action series The Mod Squad) to his swan song (wholesome family drama 7th Heaven, which continued to run after his death in 2006)Aaron Spelling started out as an actor in the '50s, then segued into writing before finding his true calling as a producer in the '60s. And what a calling it was: fan favorites such as Charlie's Angels; The Love Boat; Beverly Hills, 90210 (which launched the career of his daughter Tori); Melrose Place; Starsky and Hutch; Dynasty; and Charmed were just a few of the shows he worked on. His formula was to take a simple premise and liven it up with good-looking players, both up-and-comers (Heather Locklear on Dynasty and T.J. Hooker, Shannen Doherty on 90210 and Charmed) and stars of yesteryear (Ricardo Montalban on Fantasy Island, Robert Wagner on Hart to Hart). Even in his sixties and seventies, he was uncannily in touch with the youth market, producing series that appealed to viewers young enough to be his grandchildren. From his breakthrough ('60s action series The Mod Squad) to his swan song (wholesome family drama 7th Heaven, which continued to run after his death in 2006) Spelling was an unparalleled hit maker well-loved by his fans, his collaborators and even his critics.… Expand