Biography
An aspiring playwright, Spelling broke into television in the late 1950s, penning scripts for live television before moving into production in the early 1960s. Spelling's most notable series were marked by the simplicity of their plots and characters and the attractive performers he hired to populate them. Critics derided his work as shallow, but audiences loved his shows, which kept their producer active well into his eighth decade. Later …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
2004 | Executive produced the short-lived WB drama "Summerland" | |
2000 | Produced the NBC fall primetime serial "Titans" | |
1999 | Served as an executive producer of the feature version of "The Mod Squad"; last project under the film production arm of Spelling Entertainment | |
1998 | Created the WB series "Charmed" reuniting him with "90210" star Shannen Doherty; Doherty left the show in 2001 | |
| Revived "The Love Boat" for UPN | ||
1998 | Honored by ABC with "An All Star Party For Aaron Spelling" | |
| Ventured into daytime television with the NBC soap opera "Sunset Beach"; son Randy was featured in a regular role | ||
1996 | Had surprise success with the family drama "7th Heaven" on The WB | |
1996 | Served as one of the executive producers of "Malibu Shores", a short-lived NBC serial featuring son Randy | |
| Attempted to translate his primetime sopa opera success to the fledling The WB with "Savannah" | ||
1996 | Was one of the executive producers of the CBS miniseries "A Season in Purgatory" | |
| Ran into a spate of bad luck with "Models Inc." (Fox), "Madman of the People" (NBC) and "Winnetka Road" (NBC) | ||
1994 | Oversaw the syndicated efforts "Heaven Help Us" and "Robin's Hoods" | |
| Remake of "Burke's Law" aired on CBS | ||
1993 | With E Duke Vincent, served as executive producer of the acclaimed Emmy-winning HBO movie about the AIDS crisis "And the Band Played On" | |
| Formed Torand Productions Inc. | ||
1992 | Stumbled with "2000 Malibu Road", a CBS series co-executive produced with Joel Schumacher | |
| Fox's "Melrose Place" also proved to be a hit | ||
1991 | Last feature credit for eight years, "Soapdish" | |
1991 | Revisited another of his successes with the miniseries "Dynasty: The Reunion" (ABC) | |
| Scored a hit with "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox); daughter Tori featured as one of the regulars; son Randy had recurring role | ||
1989 | Won Emmy for the three-hour drama about the atom bomb, "Day One"; aired on CBS | |
1988 | Merged company with Worldvision Enterprises into Spelling Inc.; named chairman of Spelling Inc. | |
1986 | Executive produced a series of "Love Boat" TV-movies | |
1986 | First venture into the miniseries genre "Crossings" (CBS) | |
| Rose to chairman and chief executive officer Aaron Spelling Productions, Inc.; took his company public in 1986 | ||
| Had another success with the anthology "Hotel" (ABC) | ||
1983 | Had big screen hit with "Mr. Mom" | |
| Served as an executive producer on "T.J. Hooker" | ||
1982 | Received Emmy nomination for "Dynasty" | |
1981 | With Cramer, was executive producer of the ABC TV-movie about anorexia "The Best Little Girl in the World", starring Jennifer Jason Leigh | |
| Moved into the genre of primetime soaps with "Dynasty"; one of four executive producers | ||
1979 | With Danny Thomas, was executive producer of the ABC TV-movie "The Return of the Mod Squad" | |
| Retemed with Goldberg as executive producer of the genial detective series "Hart to Hart", co-starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers | ||
| Had success with Cramer as executive producers of "Fantasy Island" (ABC) | ||
| With Douglas S Cramer, executive produced the long-running anthology series "The Love Boat" (ABC) | ||
| Served as president of Aaron Spelling Productions, Inc., Los Angeles | ||
1976 | Executive produced the acclaimed TV-movie "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" (ABC), starring John Travolta | |
| Served as one of the executive producers of "Charlie's Angels"; reteamed with "Rookies" star Kate Jackson | ||
| Received three Emmy nominations for the drama series "Family" (ABC) | ||
| Had a hit with the ABC police drama "S.W.A.T." | ||
| With Goldberg, executive produced the hit ABC cop drama "Starsky and Hutch" | ||
| Served as a contributing writer to the ABC police drama "The Rookies"; also was one of the executive producers | ||
| With Leonard Goldberg, formed and served as co-president of Spelling-Goldberg Productions | ||
1971 | Produced over 10 made-for-TV movies for ABC | |
1970 | Received first Emmy nomination for "Mod Squad" (ABC) | |
1969 | TV-movie producing debut "The Ballad of Andy Crocker" (ABC) | |
| Operated (with Danny Thomas) Thomas-Spelling Productions; produced such shows as "The Danny Thomas Hour" (NBC, 1967-1968), "The Guns of Will Sonnett" (ABC, 1967-1969) and "The Mod Squad" (ABC, 1968-1973) | ||
| Worked as one of the directors on the sitcom, "The Smothers Brothers Show" (CBS) | ||
1963 | Served as producer of the ABC series "Burke's Law" and its 1965-1966 revamp "Amos Burke, Secret Agent" | |
| Executive produced "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (CBS) | ||
1961 | Produced the episode of "The Dick Powell Show" that introduced the character of Amos Burke | |
1960 | Produced first feature, "Guns of the Timberland"; also scripted | |
| Created first TV series, "Johnny Ringo" (CBS); also producer and writer | ||
1957 | Became producer at Four Star | |
1956 | Sold his first script to Dick Powell's "Zane Grey Theater" | |
1953 | Acted in first feature, "Vicki" | |
| Wrote his first play, "Thorns in the Road", based on his nightmarish WWII experiences; staged play with his "mail-room guys"--a group of fledgling actors who worked in the same office building as he did when he arrived in Los Angeles | ||
| Directed several plays at Playhouse and Margo Jones Theatre in Dallas, Texas, and the Players Theatre in Los Angeles | ||
1942 | Served in US Air Force; worked as a correspondent for STARS AND STRIPES; wounded by sniper's bullet in left hand and knee | |
| Raised in Texas | ||
Awards
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made For Television Movie in And the Band Played On |
1989 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special in Day One |
1982 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Dynasty |
1980 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Family |
1978 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Family |
1977 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in Family |
1970 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in The Mod Squad |