Line #6 Creator/LevinsonAndLink


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/linklev_6351.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Levinson (l) and Link]]
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4	Richard Levinson (August 7, 1934 – March 12, 1987) and William Theodore Link (December 15, 1933 – December 27, 2020) were a prolific [[Main/MysteryFiction mystery]] writing team best known for creating ''Series/{{Mannix}}'', ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' and ''Series/MurderSheWrote''. They formed their working partnership while still in high school, and spent their early career writing episodes for well-known shows like ''Series/AlfredHitchcockPresents'', ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'', ''Series/DrKildare'' and ''Series/TheFugitive''. They created or co-created a number of other television series, including ''Series/Jericho1966'', ''Series/ElleryQueen'' (based on the Creator/ElleryQueen stories), ''Stone'' (in collaboration with Creator/StephenJCannell) and ''Blacke's Magic'' (about a [[MagicianDetective crime-solving magician]]).
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6	In addition, they wrote scripts for two theatrical films and numerous made-for-television movies. Some dealt with crime, but others dealt with social issues and historical events, such as ''The Execution of Private Slovik'' (about the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII), and ''Crisis at Central High'' (set in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1958). In addition, they wrote ''That Certain Summer'', a 1972 TV movie that marked the first time homosexuality was depicted in a sympathetic manner on a major network. They won many awards, including two Emmys, two Golden Globe Awards, two Edgar Allan Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, the Writers Guild of America Award, and the Peabody Award.
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9	The Museum of Broadcast Communications website has individual pages for [[http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=levinsonric Levinson]] and [[http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=linkwilliam Link]].
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11	!!Selected works:
12	* '''Stage plays'''
13	** ''Prescription: Murder'' (1962)
14	** ''Guilty Conscience'' (1985)
15	* '''Theatrical films'''
16	** ''[[Film/{{TheHindenburg\|1975}} The Hindenburg]]''
17	** ''{{Film/Rollercoaster}}''
18	* '''Television films'''
19	** ''My Sweet Charlie'' (1970) (starring Creator/PattyDuke and Al Freeman Jr.)
20	** ''[[Creator/ElleryQueen Ellery Queen]]: Don't Look Behind You'' (1971) (credited as Ted Leighton) (starring Creator/PeterLawford and Creator/HarryMorgan)
21	** ''That Certain Summer'' (1972) (starring Creator/HalHolbrook, Creator/HopeLange, Creator/MartinSheen and Scott Jacoby)
22	** ''The Judge and Jake Wyler'' (1972) (starring Creator/BetteDavis and Doug [=McClure=])
23	** ''The Execution of Private Slovik'' (1974) (starring Creator/MartinSheen, Creator/NedBeatty and Creator/GaryBusey)
24	** ''The Gun'' (1974)
25	** ''Charlie Cobb: Nice Night for a Hanging'' (1977) (starring Creator/CluGulager, Creator/RalphBellamy and Creator/PernellRoberts)
26	** ''Murder by Natural Causes'' (1979) (starring Creator/HalHolbrook, Katharine Ross, Creator/RichardAnderson and Creator/BarryBostwick)
27	** ''Crisis at Central High'' (1981) (starring Joanne Woodward and Creator/CharlesDurning)
28	** ''Film/RehearsalForMurder'' (1982) (starring Robert Preston, Creator/LynnRedgrave, Creator/JeffGoldblum and Creator/PatrickMacnee)
29	** ''Prototype'' (1983) (starring Creator/ChristopherPlummer and Creator/DavidMorse)
30	** ''The Guardian'' (1984) (starring Creator/MartinSheen and Creator/LouisGossettJr)
31	** ''Guilty Conscience'' (1985) (starring Creator/AnthonyHopkins, Creator/BlytheDanner and Creator/SwoosieKurtz)
32	** ''Vanishing Act'' (1986) (starring Creator/ElliottGould, Creator/MargotKidder, Creator/FredGwynne and Creator/MikeFarrell)
33	* '''Television series'''
34	** ''[[Series/{{Jericho\|1966}} Jericho]]'' (1966-1967) (created by)
35	** ''{{Series/Mannix}}'' (1967-1975) (created by)
36	** ''{{Series/Columbo}}'' (1968-2003) (created by)
37	** ''Tenafly'' (1973-74) (created by)
38	*** Focuses on Harry Tenafly (Creator/JamesMcEachin), a former cop turned private investigator.
39	** ''Series/ElleryQueen'' (1975-1976) (created by)
40	** ''Stone'' (1979-1980) (co-created with Creator/StephenJCannell) (starring Dennis Weaver and Creator/PatHingle)
41	*** Focuses on Sergeant Daniel Stone, a police officer turned best-selling writer.
42	** ''Blacke's Magic'' (1985) (created by) (starring Creator/HalLinden and Creator/HarryMorgan)
43	*** Focuses on [[Main/MagicianDetective magician detective]] Alexander Blacke, and his conman father Leonard.
44	** ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' (1984-1996) (created by)
45	** ''Series/TheCosbyMysteries'' (1994-1995) (created by Link and David Black)
46	* '''Guest writing scripts'''
47	** ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (1959, 1 episode)
48	** ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' (1960) (1 episode)
49	** ''Johnny Ringo'' (1959-1960, 3 episodes)
50	** ''The Chevy Mystery Show'' (1960, episode: "Enough Rope", inspiration for ''{{Series/Columbo}}'')
51	** ''Michael Shayne'' (1960-1961, 6 episodes)
52	** ''Series/AlfredHitchcockPresents'' (1961-1962, 2 episodes)
53	** ''Series/TheThirdMan'' (1963, 2 episodes)
54	** ''Series/DrKildare'' (1963, 2 episodes)
55	** ''Series/TheAlfredHitchcockHour'' (1962-1964, 5 episodes)
56	** ''Series/BurkesLaw'' (1964-1965, 3 episodes)
57	** ''Series/TheFugitive'' (1964-1965, 2 episodes)
58	** ''Series/HoneyWest'' (1965-1966, 3 episodes)
59	** ''Series/McCloud'' (1970, pilot)
60	** ''Tenafly'' (1973, pilot)

Context Creator / LevinsonAndLink