While this prolific producer's shows were routinely attacked by critics, they were adored by viewers. From his breakthrough — the '60s action series
The Mod Squad — to his swan song — the wholesome family drama
7th Heaven, which continued to run after his death in 2006 — Spelling was an unparalleled hit maker who didn't get a lot of respect, at least not from Emmy voters. Although he was awarded the Guinness World Record for most-prolific TV-drama producer in 1999, with more than 3,800 hours of programming to his credit, he only won two Emmys during his career, both for atypically prestigious TV-movies:
Day One, about developing the atomic bomb and
And the Band Played On, HBO's groundbreaking early AIDS drama. Yet Spelling's impact on the small screen was phenomenal.
Charlie's Angels,
The Love Boat,
Beverly Hills, 90210,
Melrose Place,
Starsky and Hutch,
Dynasty and
Charmed were just a few of the shows he worked on. Without them, would there have ever been
Desperate Housewives or
Sex and the City? Spelling started out as an actor in the '50s, then segued to writing, but found his calling as a producer in the '60s. His formula was to take a simple premise (teenagers or twentysomethings in heat, a cruise packed with guest stars, insanely hot witches) 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). The actors he liked he used over and over. He also tirelessly promoted his daughter Tori's career, turning her into a B-list star on
90210. (
Sunset Beach, the series his son Randy appeared in, wasn't as big a success. Neither were the patriarch's feature-film outings (
Soapdish,
Loose Cannons,
Satisfaction, the latter boasting a then-unknown starlet, Julia Roberts, in her film debut). 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. Above all, the workaholic impresario was well-loved, by his fans, (most of) his collaborators and even his critics. And while he would have preferred to be the king of high quality instead of high camp, he was proud of his legacy.
Aaron Spelling Fast Facts:
- Served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II.
- Was a cheerleader in college.
- He and his second wife, Candy, bought Bing Crosby's house in L.A.'s Holmby Hills and knocked it down to build a 123-room estate.
- Earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- In 1999, he was awarded the Guinness World Record for Most Prolific TV Drama Producer, mounting 3,842 hours of television since 1956.
- Aaron Spelling Relationships:
- Candy Spelling - Wife
- Carolyn Jones - Ex-wife
- David Spelling - Father
- Pearl Spelling - Mother
- Randy Spelling - Son
- Tori Spelling - Daughter
- Aaron Spelling Awards:
- 1970 Emmy: Outstanding Dramatic Series - Nominee
- 1977 Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
- 1978 Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
- 1980 Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
- 1982 Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series - Nominee
- 1994 Emmy: Outstanding Made for Television Movie - Winner
- 1989 Emmy: Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special - Winner
- College:
- Attended Sorbonne University, Paris, France; Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
