#stephen j cannell

[dinosaurwithablog]

Season 1, episode 1, Flowers on her Grave, we see the first of Castle's famous poker games with his very famous author friends

I love how they help to solve cases at these games by talking about how they would write the story. Castle employs this technique throughout the show with his buddies and on his own.

[mitochondriaandbunnies]

Booker is kind of great, actually

[hollywoodoutbreak]

Back in 1981, superheroes weren’t dominating television like they are today. Surprisingly, there was only one live-action superhero show on the air—The Greatest American Hero. This series didn’t just stand out because it was alone in its lane; it earned its place with a blend of humor, heart, and a quirky twist on the superhero formula that set it apart.

The show gleefully leaned into its lighthearted tone, playfully riffing on the classic superhero tales while riding the wave of the Superman movies success. While it never became a ratings juggernaut, it found another way to embed itself into pop culture. Its theme song, Believe It or Not, became an unexpected musical hit, soaring onto the pop charts and capturing the feel-good spirit of the show.

At its core, the story centered on Ralph Hinkley, a regular, somewhat hapless school teacher who finds himself thrust into the role of a superhero when extraterrestrials gift him a super-powered suit. The catch? The instruction manual is nowhere to be found. Chaos (and comedy) ensues as Ralph stumbles his way through using the suit’s powers, all while trying to work out how to save the day. William Katt brought an endearing charm to the role, making Ralph’s awkward yet earnest attempts at being a hero both relatable and lovable. At a Retro Con Panel Katt spoke about how he landed the role without even auditioning, a testament to how perfectly he fit the character.

For fans of unique superhero stories or anyone after a dose of nostalgia, The Greatest American Hero is a trip worth taking. You can catch the entire series streaming on Prime Video and Peacock, or pick it up on DVD and digital Platforms. It’s time to rediscover this cult classic and hum along to that unforgettable theme song!

[vertigoartgore]

Ken Wahl as Vinnie Terranova in January 1988 (the main character of the late 80's tv show Wiseguy by Stephen J. Cannell & co.).

[gallimaufryish]

[monkeyssalad-blog]

Dirk Benedict and George Peppard in The A-team, 3 by Truus, Bob & Jan too! Via Flickr: Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg, Rotterdam / Antwerpen. Photo: Stephen J. Cannell Productions, 1984. Dirk Benedict as Templeton 'Faceman' Peck and George Peppard as Colonel John 'Hannibal' Smith in The A-Team (1983-1987). During the 1960s, handsome and elegant actor George Peppard (1928-1994) displayed considerable talent in such films as Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), How the West Was Won (1962), The Carpetbaggers (1964) and The Blue Max (1966). But he is probably best known as Col. John 'Hannibal' Smith, the cigar-smoking leader of a renegade commando squad in the action series The A-Team (1983-1987). George Peppard Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1928. He was the son of contractor George Peppard and opera singer Vernelle Rohrer. Before his acting career began, he was a newsreader for a local radio station in Pittsburgh for a short time. After radio and television experience (with guest roles in The United States Steel Hour, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alcoa Hour), Peppard made his Broadway debut in 1956, in the play 'Girls of Summer'. He made his feature film debut in the drama The Strange One (Jack Garfein, 1957). In 1958-1959, he played Roger Henderson in the play 'The Pleasure of His Company'. In the late 1950s, Peppard continued to make guest appearances in then-famous television shows and series, like Studio One, Hallmark Hall of Fame and Matinee Theatre. He also had a role in the war film Pork Chop Hill (Lewis Milestone, 1959), starring Gregory Peck. Peppard began to stand out after his role as Robert Mitchum's illegitimate son in Home from the Hill (Vincente Minnelli, 1960). He began to emerge more and more as the leading man, but the Beatnik film The Subterraneans (Ranald MacDougall, 1960) flopped and he returned to television. His good looks, elegant manner and acting skills landed Peppard his most famous film role as struggling writer Paul ‘Fred’ Varjak in the romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's (Blake Edwards, 1961), alongside Audrey Hepburn. Now considered a promising young star by the studios, Peppard was cast in the epic Western How the West Was Won (Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall, 1962), the British-American war film The Victors (Carl Foreman, 1963) and the Harold Robbins adaptation The Carpetbaggers (Edward Dmytryk, 1964) in which he portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes. His future second wife Helen Davies also had a role in the latter film. In the mid-1960s, Peppard starred in major productions such as the British Spy thriller Operation Crossbow (Michael Anderson, 1965) with Sophia Loren and the thriller The Third Day (Jack Smight, 1965) with Elizabeth Ashley, who had become his second wife. He reached the peak of his popularity in the grim war film The Blue Max (John Guillermin, 1966) with Peppard as an obsessively competitive German pilot during World War I. In the latter half of the 1960s and early 1970s, Peppard seemed to lower the bar and appeared in films of a more average level, except for the war film Tobruk (Arthur Hiller, 1967) in which he co-starred with Rock Hudson. He also appeared in the Westerns Rough Night in Jericho (Arnold Laven, 1967) with Dean Martin and One More Train To Rob (Andrew McLaglen, 1971). Peppard co-starred with Joan Collins in the British Cold War thriller The Executioner (Sam Wanamaker, 1970). In the 1970s, the film roles George Peppard took on became increasingly uninteresting and he played almost exclusively in television films. Between 1972 and 1974, Peppard starred in the seventeen-episode television series Banacek. He played a wealthy Boston playboy who solves thefts for insurance companies for a finder's fee in 90-minute whodunits. The series briefly revived Peppard's waning popularity. In 1975-1976, he starred in the television series Doctor's Hospital, but towards the end of the season, Peppard indicated he wanted to quit his role in the series. In 1977, Peppard appeared in the post-apocalypse film Damnation Alley (Jack Smight, 1977) with Jan-Michael Vincent and Dominique Sanda. Poorly received by critics and audiences, it has since achieved a cult following. With fewer interesting roles coming his way, he acted in, directed and produced the drama Five Days from Home (1979). The film, about a father escaping from prison to visit his sick son, did not become a success. He plunged back into television films like Torn Between Two Lovers (Delbert Mann, 1979) with Lee Remick and Crisis in Mid-Air (Walter Grauman, 1979). The Euro War film Contro 4 Bandiere/From Hell to Victory (Umberto Lenzi, 1979) and the Space Opera Battle Beyond the Stars (Jimmy T. Murakami, 1980), produced by Roger Corman, also did not become box office hits. He landed the role of Blake Carrington in the TV soap Dynasty but was fired after a week of filming due to creative differences with the producers. He managed to get the role of Hannibal Smith in The A-Team, alongside Mr. T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz. In the series, the A-Team was a team of renegade commandos on the run from the military for "a crime they did not commit" while serving in the Vietnam War. The A-Team members made their collective living as soldiers of fortune, but they helped only people who came to them with justified grievances. The A-Team became the number-one-rated television show in its first season. 98 episodes of the series were made and aired between 1983 and 1987. Peppard was back in the saddle, but after the series ended, he reportedly was glad it was over. He starred in a few more films and television movies, including two films in the Man Against the Mob series, for which a third was also planned. Due to Peppard's death, it remained only two parts. Furthermore, he played a role in the War film Night of the Fox (Charles Jarrott, 1990) with Michael York. Peppard's last television appearance was a guest role in the television series Matlock. The episode aired eight days before Peppard's death. It was intended as a pilot for a new series. In 1992, Peppard had a small, malignant lung tumour removed. Two years later, George Peppard was again under treatment for lung cancer. Complications from this left him with pneumonia, from which he eventually died in 1994. He was 65. His fifth wife Laura, a West Palm Beach banker, cared for him for the last 18 months of his life. He is buried alongside his parents in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan. Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch and English) and IMDb. And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

[streamondemand]

'Wiseguy' – TV's great undercover cop drama on Prime Video and Peacock

Ken Wahl stars as Vinnie Terranova, a veteran FBI agent making a transition to deep cover operative in the (fictional) Organized Crime Bureau divitaion, in the undercover thriller Wiseguy (1987-1990). Created by Stephen J. Cannell and Stanley Lupo, it took a radically different approach to TV crime as it charted the long, slow process of Terranova infiltrating the mob. His first assignment is to…

[sittinwithyou]

This was the pinnacle of transitions when I was growing up.

[helifreds]

17 december 1985, Los Angeles, California

The NBC passes on the national tv for the first time ever the "Uncle Buckle-up" episode from the elegant and rinomated tv show named A-Team

An episode rich of such class and strong valors to leave everyone asking only two questions :

"Who did this?"

"Why?"

Ok, now that this introdution it's over let's talk about real stuff XD

For how stupid and foolish this episode could seem, it contained such EVIDENT sexual references - male ones obviously - all performed by HM Murdock

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3 aka "Murdock spreading his gayness all over the world"

Of course have to deeply thank our dear story editor Bill Nuss and beloved creator Stephen J. Cannell for these pearls :>

[shadowwizardstonergang]

Assignment for my medieval history class. We're were supposed to make a manuscript page based off a page of a book and I chose the first page of Final Victim by Stephen J. Cannell cause why the fuck not lol

[chiosblog]

Just watched an interview with Stephen J. Cannell, one of the co-creators of the A-Team and here a list of things to love this man:

He loved Amy's character and wanted her to stay (he wanted someone girls could look up to)

He said about the show quote "It was not violent. It was stupid."

He loved B.A and Murdock chemistry and how they are important for each other

He wasn't interested in creating a show/writing episodes to put veterans in a good light (like in Magnum) cause he just wanted to write his silly stories (with his silly little characters)

He didn't care much for the war aspect of the show

He disliked the idea that the team had to work for Stockwell in season 5 but he had to find a way to keep the show going for an another year and said it was actually his fault cause he had been lazy and his little studio didnt have much resources left

He had literally written some interesting facedock episodes like 'Mind games' (the hug scene guys)

[mitochondriaandbunnies]

Bob Conrad you are a fucking delight

Also what in god's name is your outfit. You are supposed to be a tough Chicago boxer. Why do you look like you're on your way to the Studio 54

[abriefingwithmichael]

“Sonny Spoon” s1e2 (1988)

David Marciano, Leigh McCloskey.

A superb episode written by series co-creator Stephen J. Cannell.

The first half is all about Sonny trying to get his burglar buddy out of trouble when breaks into the wrong house. In a serious of unexpected developments, things get much worse and much more dangerous. For both men.

The second half details an elaborate con that Sonny organises (with his pals) to keep him and his buddy alive.

This ingenious episode is both funny and thrilling. Simple gags like Sonny constantly being woken up at 3am are littered throughout. The two Sonny-in-peril sequences are nail-biting. And through it all, Sonny's role as a white knight of the streets shines through. It really feels like he's the guy that everyone turns to, the one that looks out for everyone. He's definitely one of Cannell's most likeable heroes.

Feb-Mar 1988: NBC aired Sonny Spoon as a replacement for Private Eye in the final hour of Friday prime time after Miami Vice. Against it, ABC had 20/20 while CBS aired Falcon Crest.

10/10

[havithreatendub4]

When cops Schmidt #Jonah Hill and Jenko #Channing Tatum join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go under cover as high-school students (just like the tv series)

#March 16, 2012 #cameo #Peter Deluise

Based on: 21 Jump Street; by Patrick Hasburgh; Stephen J. Cannell #TV series

Pt 1

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 2.5

Beer Birthdays

Henry C. Moffat (1844)

John L. Hoerber Jr. (1848)

Roger Protz (1939)

Jim Kirk (1971)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Hank Aaron; Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves RF (1934)

William S. Burroughs; writer (1914)

Nolan Bushnell; computer designer, Atari founder (1943)

H.R. Giger; artist (1940)

Jennifer Jason Leigh; actor (1962)

Famous Birthdays

Yuko Aoki; model (1977)

Bobby Brown; pop singer (1969)

Red Buttons; actor, composer (1919)

Stephen J. Cannell; television producer, writer (1941)

John Carradine; actor (1906)

Debra Jo Fondren; model, Playboy Playmate of the Year (1955)

Zsa Zsa Gabor; actor (1917)

Don Goldie; jazz trumpeter (1930)

Christopher Guest; actor, comedian (1948)

Barbara Hershey; actor (1948)

Robert Hofstadter; physicist (1915)

Al Kooper; rock musician (1944)

John Lindley; botanist (1799)

Laura Linney; actor (1964)

Michael Mann; actor, film director (1943)

Errol Morris; film director (1948)

Craig Morton; Dallas Cowboys QB (1943)

Robert Peel; politician, modern police founder (1788)

Charlotte Rampling; actor (1945)

Ronaldo; soccer player (1985)

Marie de Sevigne; French writer (1626)

Norton Simon; philanthropist, art collector (1907)

Belle Starr; outlaw (1848)

Roger Staubach; Dallas Cowboys QB (1942)

Adlai Stevenson; politician, U.S. Vice-President (1900)

Barrett Strong; pop singer (1941)

Jeremy Sumpter; actor (1989)

Cory Wells; pop singer (1942)

Chuck Winfield; rock musician (1943)

John Witherspoon; clergyman, signer of the Declaration of Independence (1723)

[lecameleontv]

Le 20 février 2001, les acteurs Andrea Parker et Michael T Weiss se sont rendus avec leurs conjoints/compagnons respectifs au dîner de Gala du 41ème Festival de la Télévision de Monte-Carlo (Monaco, Europe), pour représenter la série/Tv film Le Caméléon (V.O. : The Pretender).

A leurs côtés : Maria Grazia Cucinotta, son HSH Albert de Monaco, Gena Lee Nolin, Stephen J. Cannell.

Photos : Toni Anne Barson Sources : tvfestival.com, WireImage et gettyimages.fr  

Alias Jarod et Mlle Parker dans la série Le Caméléon.