Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was a prominent American television producer, born on April 22, 1923, in Dallas, Texas. He faced significant challenges in his early life, including bullying that led to a nervous breakdown during childhood. After serving in the U.S. Air Force during World War II and earning several military honors, he began a career in entertainment that started with playwriting while attending Southern Methodist University. Spelling's breakthrough in television came in 1956 with "Zane Grey Theater," and he quickly established himself as one of the most successful producers in the industry.
Over his nearly fifty-year career, Spelling created and produced numerous iconic television shows, including "Dynasty," "Charlie's Angels," and "Beverly Hills 90210," among others. His productions often featured flashy, action-packed storytelling that resonated with audiences, despite criticism from some reviewers who viewed his work as superficial. Throughout his lifetime, Spelling produced over 3,800 hours of programming and more than 110 made-for-television films, leaving a lasting impact on American pop culture. He continued to work in television until his health declined, passing away on June 23, 2006. Spelling's legacy endures through the enduring popularity of his shows and their influence on the television landscape.
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Subject Terms
Aaron Spelling
Television producer and writer
- Born: April 22, 1923
- Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
- Died: June 23, 2006
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Spelling produced thousands of hours of television programming and more than one hundred television films. He shaped the world of television shows and American pop culture with his flashy, sexy, and fun productions.
Early Life
Aaron Spelling (EHR-uhn SPEHL-ihng) was born on April 22, 1923, in Dallas, Texas, to David Spelling and Pearl Wall. As a child, Aaron Spelling was often subject to other children’s taunts and teasing, much of which was anti-Semitic in nature. While he was still in elementary school, Spelling suffered a nervous breakdown, which may have been caused by bullying. This breakdown resulted in Spelling’s confinement to his home for a year. During this time, he read enthusiastically, and his imagination grew. Spelling’s facility for ideas and stories developed at this early age, and his skill for creating plots for television shows may have originated at this time in his life.
After high school, Spelling enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, and he fought in World War II. He received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart with oak-leaf cluster. Spelling attended college at Southern Methodist University, where he began to write plays. He graduated in 1950 with a B.A. degree.
For the next several years, Spelling directed plays in the Dallas and Los Angeles regions. In 1956, while living in Los Angeles, he decided to try his hand at the television industry. Spelling’s legendary television career began with his involvement in Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theater, a Western series. From that point on, Spelling produced many popular television shows, in addition to made-for-television films and a handful of feature films.
Life’s Work
Spelling’s first experiences in the television industry came in small acting roles in various shows. However, he was not noticed or noted for his acting career, which was short lived. Instead, Spelling found his career in television with the show Zane Grey Theater in 1956. He worked as a writer for the series, and eventually he became its producer in 1960. Spelling’s first big hit came in 1968 with his show The Mod Squad, an action-adventure series.
Throughout his life, Spelling wrote for and produced hundreds of television shows and films. Flashy, action-packed, and colorful, his style was evident in all of his imaginative productions. Because Spelling produced for nearly fifty years, many of his shows are familiar to people of all ages and in all parts of the world. The shows that Spelling produced came to represent American pop culture to other countries. Most producers are unknown to television audiences, but Spelling became as famous as his shows.
Some of Spelling’s most famous productions are Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels, Starsky and Hutch,The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Vega$, Hart to Hart, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Seventh Heaven, and Charmed. At one point in his career, one-third of the shows airing at prime time on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network were produced by Spelling. He produced a number of shows that were not successful, but, at the same time, he produced many that were, and still are, extremely popular with audiences.
In addition to his television shows, Spelling also produced made-for-television films. Two of these include his Emmy Award-winning television films, Day One (1989) and And the Band Played On (1993). Thirteen feature films were also produced under Spelling. Although his films may not be as well known as his television series, they certainly enhanced his repertoire.
Spelling had an eye for glitz and glamour, and for what would work, whether it was an idea, a title, or an actor. Farrah Fawcett appeared in only the first season of Charlie’s Angels, but she and the show are often inseparable from one another. Spelling’s creative mind and his sense of entertaining escapism are what captured his audiences.
Critics often looked down upon Spelling’s productions, saying that they were television fluff. Spelling, on the other hand, knew this, proudly proclaiming his shows to be “mind candy.” Although his sparkly and showy productions were disdained by critics, they were immensely popular with audiences. Spelling was a man of entertainment, and that was how he produced his shows: not to educate or preach but to provide a fantasy and an escape, a source of pure entertainment.
Spelling continued to produce throughout his life, until his health failed. He died of complications from a stroke on June 23, 2006. He is survived by his wife Carole “Candy” Marer Spelling, his son Randy Spelling, and his daughter, the actor Tori Spelling.
Significance
Spelling was one of the most successful television producers of all time, responsible for more than 3,800 hours of programming and more than 110 made-for-television films. With numerous productions bearing his name, his impact on American television was apparent for more than fifty years. As a result of the anti-Semitic torments of his childhood, and the unfortunate emotional state that it put him in for a year, Spelling emerged with a gift of creativity. The situation of his youth caused him to seek escape and wonder in the stories he read. As a producer, Spelling shared his ideas and fantasies with his television audiences. His lasting legacy is the entertaining shows that provide an escape for viewers and have influenced the entire television industry.
Bibliography
Carter, Bill. “Aaron Spelling, Prolific Television Producer, Dies at Eighty-Three.” The New York Times, June 24, 2006. Spelling’s obituary gives a long and interesting overview of his career.
Spelling, Aaron, and Jefferson Graham. Aaron Spelling: A Prime-Time Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2002. Spelling recounts details of his early childhood in Dallas and highlights of his long and successful career. Includes photographs and excerpts of scripts from his popular shows.
Spelling, Candy. Stories from Candyland. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009. Spelling’s wife, Candy, recounts her married life of thirty-six years with the famous producer and offers a peek into their magical lifestyle.