Line #31 Creator/StephenJCannell


1	[[quoteright:312:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stephen_j_cannell_2397.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:312:The man, his typewriter, and (some of) his awards.]]
3
4	->''"(Stephen J. Cannell) still gets branded Johnny One-Note (yet has anyone ever noticed any similarity between ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' and ''Baa Baa Black Sheep'' except that both involve flying?)."''
5	-->--'''''The UsefulNotes/LosAngeles Times'''''
6
7	Stephen Joseph Cannell (February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer and writer, known for creating or co-creating such highly successful series as ''Series/TheRockfordFiles'', ''Series/TheATeam'', ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'', ''Series/HardcastleAndMcCormick'', ''Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet'', and ''Series/TheCommish''. Suffered from dyslexia. Famously appeared in his [[VanityPlate Vanity Plates]] working at a typewriter and also as the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDwUEAnrEkk on camera host of]] ''Scene of the Crime'' and ''U.S. Customs Classified''; he also acted on occasion, most notably as the BigBad on ''{{Series/Renegade}}'' (another series from his company), and wrote a number of novels, most notably a crime-thriller series featuring LAPD detective Shane Scully.
8
9	Also played poker [[Series/Castle2009 with a fictional crime writer]]. He died in 2010; his [[EmptyChairMemorial seat, chips, and whiskey remain at his spot]] to this day. (Cannell has a posthumous executive producer credit on ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' and its sequel; he also helped produce some movies when he was actually with us, such as the movie version of ''Series/TheATeam'' and ''Film/ThePokerHouse''. His company produced at least one regular non-pilot MadeForTVMovie, 1981's ''Midnight Offerings'' written by frequent collaborator Juanita Bartlett (also creator of ''The Quest'' - see below).
10
11	----
12	!!Series from Cannell (created or co-created by, except where noted with an asterisk):
13	[[index]]
14	* ''Chase''
15	* ''Toma''
16	* ''Series/TheRockfordFiles''
17	* ''Series/{{Baretta}}''
18	* ''City of Angels''
19	* ''Richie Brockelman: Private Eye'' (with Creator/StevenBochco; SpinOff from ''The Rockford Files'')
20	* ''Baa Baa Black Sheep''
21	* ''The Duke''
22	* ''Stone'' (with Creator/LevinsonAndLink - Cannell had previously written for [[Series/{{Columbo}} their best-known creation]] - namely "[[Recap/ColumboS03E04 Double Exposure]]")
23	* ''Series/TenspeedAndBrownShoe'' (the first series to come from Stephen J. Cannell Productions)
24	* ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'' (the first series to feature [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSjqDpneJNc his legendary vanity plate]])
25	* ''The Quest''*
26	* ''Series/TheRousters''
27	* ''Series/TheATeam''
28	* ''Series/HardcastleAndMcCormick''
29	* ''Series/HunterNBC''*
30	* ''Series/Riptide1984''
31	* ''The Last Precinct''
32	* ''Series/Stingray1985''
33	* ''J.J. Starbuck''
34	* ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}''
35	* ''Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet''
36	* ''Sonny Spoon''
37	* ''Unsub''* (has "Developed by" credit)
38	* ''Top of the Hill''
39	* ''Booker'' (SpinOff from ''21 Jump Street'')
40	* ''Broken Badges''
41	* ''Series/StreetJustice''
42	* ''Series/SilkStalkings'' (Cannell's longest-running series, lasting eight seasons)
43	* ''The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage'' (a co-production with Creator/WaltDisney Television)
44	* ''Series/TheCommish''
45	* ''Personals''* (game show)
46	* ''Palace Guard''
47	* ''Series/{{Renegade}}''
48	* ''The Hat Squad''
49	* ''Missing Persons''*
50	* ''Cobra''
51	* ''Series/CaesarsChallenge''* (game show; also the final game show to air on Creator/{{NBC}} Daytime)
52	* ''Traps''
53	* ''Series/{{Hawkeye\|1994}}''*
54	* ''Marker''
55	* ''Series/{{Profit}}''*
56	[[/index]]
57
58	----
59	!!Tropes:
60	* AdamWesting: Guest-stars in a few episodes of Series/DiagnosisMurder as Jackson Burley - an insufferably-hammy television writer prone to Malapropism and best known for equally-hammy action series.
61	-->'''Burley''': You know what they say - you can walk the talk, but don't run the gun if you you can't stand the hand.\
62	'''Steve Sloan''': [[SarcasmMode That's what I always say.]]
63	* TheCameo: Regularly on ''Series/{{Castle\|2009}}'' as himself, and in episodes of [[DescendedCreator his own]] ''Tenspeed And Brown Shoe'' and ''Silk Stalkings''.
64	* CompilationMovie: The three-part series opener of ''City of Angels'', "The November Plan," was later edited into a feature film and released to cinemas internationally under that title.
65	* DescendedCreator: Cannell himself played the evil Lt. Donald Dixon on ''Series/{{Renegade}}''.
66	* FollowTheLeader: ''The Last Precinct'', Cannell's only SitCom (an hour-long show however; created with regular collaborator Frank Lupo - the pairing also generated ''The A-Team'', ''Riptide'' and ''Wiseguy''), was clearly patterned after ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' (in the pilot a character even says "How [the cops] got out of the police academy I'll never know"). Also Creator/AdamWest plays the Lessard equivalent.
67	* NiceGuy: Despite the fact that his popular self-titled production logo scared some fans (particularly children), he was known as a really decent and likable guy. For most children of TheEighties, his face and logo was as beloved as [[Creator/ITCEntertainment another certain cult classic logo]], a reassurance that they just watched (or will be watching) a very cool action adventure show. Also, when ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' paid homage to his closing logo in the episode. "The Front", he loved it so much, upon meeting showrunner at the time, Mike Reiss, he gave him a hug.
68	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: 1980's ''Nightside'' was a pilot for a never-made series which was created by Cannell and [[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Glen]] [[Series/TheFallGuy A.]] [[Series/QuincyME Larson]]. Stephen J. Cannell and Glen A. Larson - it would have been a 1980s TV dream come true.
69	** In 1997 Creator/{{CBS}} asked him to oversee a revival of ''Series/HawaiiFiveO'', but it didn't turn out too well (among other things, he brought back Chin Ho -- who had been KilledOffForReal). Said pilot has never been made available to the public in any form to this day, and with the successful [[Series/HawaiiFive0 new version]] almost certainly will never be screened in the future.

Context Creator / StephenJCannell