Stephen J. Cannell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen J. Cannell
Cannell at KUSI News, San Diego, California in 2005
Born	Stephen Joseph Cannell (1941-02-05)February 5, 1941 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	September 30, 2010(2010-09-30) (aged 69) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Nationality	American
Education	University of Oregon, B.S. 1964
Occupation	Writer producer director
Years active	1968–2010
Known for	Founder of The Cannell Studios
Spouse(s)	Marcia Cannell ​ (m. 1964)​
Children	4, including Tawnia
Awards	Emmy Award

Stephen Joseph Cannell (February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American TV producer, writer, and novelist. He created many popular TV shows. He also founded his own companies, Stephen J. Cannell Productions and The Cannell Studios.

Cannell started his career writing for television. He went on to create or co-create dozens of successful TV series. These shows aired from the 1970s to the 1990s. Some of his most famous shows include The Rockford Files, The A-Team, and 21 Jump Street. He also wrote many novels, including the Shane Scully mystery series.

Early Life and Education

Stephen Cannell was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a nearby city called Pasadena. His father, Joseph Knapp Cannell, owned a very successful interior decorating company.

Cannell faced a challenge in school: he had dyslexia. This made reading and spelling difficult for him. Despite this, he graduated from the University of Oregon in 1964. He earned a degree in journalism. He even joined the Sigma Chi fraternity while in college.

In a 2009 documentary called Dislecksia: The Movie, Cannell talked about his dyslexia. He explained how he became a successful writer even with his difficulties. He often hired typists to help with spelling. He also felt that his dyslexia made his life richer.

Building a TV Career

After college, Cannell worked in his family's business for four years. In 1968, he sold his first TV script. It was for a Universal series called It Takes a Thief. Soon after, he was hired by Universal Television. This was the TV production part of Universal Studios.

He quickly started writing for other crime shows. These included Ironside and Columbo. In 1971, he got a call from a friend, Herman Saunders. Saunders was a producer for the police series Adam-12. They needed a script fast. Cannell wrote it in just one day! He was then hired as a story editor for the show.

Creating Hit Shows

For Universal Television, Cannell created or co-created several popular series. These included Chase and Baretta. He also helped create The Rockford Files and Baa Baa Black Sheep. In 1978, he won an Emmy Award for The Rockford Files. This award was for Outstanding Drama Series.

In 1979, Cannell started his own company. It was called Stephen J. Cannell Productions. His first show under his new company was Tenspeed and Brown Shoe. Many other hits followed. These included The Greatest American Hero, The A-Team, and Hunter.

Expanding Productions

Cannell's company grew, and he moved to larger offices in Hollywood. He also started filming some of his shows in Canada. This was because it was cheaper to produce shows there. His first series filmed entirely in Vancouver was 21 Jump Street. This show became very popular on the new Fox network.

To handle more shows, Cannell built a new, large studio. It was called "The North Shore Studios" in Vancouver. Many more series were filmed there. These included Wiseguy, The Commish, and Renegade.

By 1995, Cannell had created or co-created almost 40 TV series. Most of these were crime dramas. He wrote over 450 episodes himself. He also produced or executive produced more than 1,500 episodes.

Acting and Later Work

Cannell sometimes acted in his own shows. He had a regular role as "Dutch" Dixon in Renegade. He also appeared as himself in the ABC show Castle. In Castle, he was one of the main character's poker buddies. After Cannell passed away, his empty seat at the poker table was a tribute to him.

Starting in 1995, Cannell began writing novels. His first novel, The Plan, came out in 1997. He wrote 18 novels in total. Eleven of them featured a detective character named Shane Scully.

Some of Cannell's TV series were made into movies. The A-Team became a film in 2010. 21 Jump Street was made into a movie in 2012, with a sequel in 2014. Cannell was a producer and creative consultant for The A-Team film.

Personal Life and Legacy

Stephen Cannell married his high school sweetheart, Marcia, in 1964. They had four children: Tawnia, Chelsea, Cody, and Derek. Sadly, one of his sons, Derek, passed away at a young age in 1981. Actor William Katt wrote a song for Cannell called "Cody the Cowboy." Cannell was so touched that he named his next son Cody after the song.

Cannell continued to be a spokesperson for dyslexia awareness. He often dictated his ideas and scripts to his assistants. He used an old-fashioned typewriter for writing. He only used a computer for research.

Stephen J. Cannell passed away on September 30, 2010. He died from complications of melanoma, a type of cancer. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles. The TV show Castle paid tribute to him. They showed a special version of his production company logo. It featured Cannell at his typewriter, with a message honoring him.

Selected TV Shows and Films

• Ironside (1970) (writer)
• Adam-12 (1971–1973) (story editor)
• The Rockford Files (1974–1980) (co-creator)
• Baretta (1975) (creator)
• Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976–1978) (creator)
• Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) (creator)
• The Greatest American Hero (1981–1983) (creator)
• The A-Team (1983–1987) (co-creator)
• Hardcastle and McCormick (1983–1986) (co-creator)
• Hunter (1984–1991)
• Riptide (1984–1986) (co-creator)
• Stingray (1986–1987) (creator)
• Wiseguy (1987–1990) (co-creator)
• 21 Jump Street (1987–1991) (co-creator)
• Silk Stalkings (1991–1999) (creator)
• The Commish (1991–1996) (co-creator)
• Renegade (1992–1997) (creator)
• Cobra (1993–1994) (co-creator)
• Hawkeye (1994–1995)

Notable Acting Roles

• Renegade (1992–1997) as Donald "Dutch" Dixon (Series regular)
• Half Past Dead (2002) as Frank Hubbard
• Castle (2009) as himself (recurring guest role)

See also

In Spanish: Stephen J. Cannell para niños