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Everyone has to start somewhere when they're breaking into Hollywood. These days, "starting somewhere" can mean making videos on YouTube, or serving as a production assistant on a reality TV show, or anything else. The divide between television and film is now so blurred that to work in one medium is not seen as a black mark on a person's career when they want to move to a different medium. But there was a time when those who wanted to make movies would be strongly encouraged to steer clear of TV, because those who worked primarily on the small screen would have an awfully hard time making the jump to the big screen. 

But there are always exceptions to these rules, even before the idea of new media came along to shake up the notion of transitioning from TV to film. The biggest possible exception to any such rule is Steven Spielberg.

Jessica Fletcher may soon be back on the case, as a reboot of Murder, She Wrote is reportedly in the works. It's also been revealed that the role, famously played by Angela Lansbury in the original TV show, might be taken on by an acclaimed Oscar winner.

Per Deadline, Halloween and Freaky Friday star Jamie Lee Curtis is being eyed for the lead in a Murder, She Wrote movie that's now in the works at Universal Pictures. As of now, Curtis has not officially signed on, but she is reportedly "likely" to accept the role. The screenwriting duo behind 2021's Dumb Money – Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo – are writing the script for the Murder, She Wrote film. Lord Miller and Amy Pascal are producing.

Related Freakier Friday's Jamie Lee Curtis Explains Why Audiences Had to Wait 22 Years for a Sequel

Jamie Lee Curtis reveals why it took over...

Exclusive: Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis is the top choice to star in the Murder, She Wrote movie coming together at Universal, Dish hears. No deal yet, but we here she’s looming likely to play the Jessica Fletcher role popularized by Angela Lansbury in the hit series that ran 12 seasons on CBS series.

Script is by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, the duo behind the Craig Gillespie-directed drama Dumb Money, about the GameStop short squeeze of 2021. Murder, She Wrote is being produced by Lord Miller and Amy Pascal.

Now, it’s early, but this makes a great deal of sense. Whodunits are hot, from the Knives Out trilogy with Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, to the Hercule Poirot mysteries with Kenneth Branagh that began with Murder On The Orient Express. Just as hot is the career second wind of Curtis, who has come so much further than...

Warning: This article discusses topics of mental health and infertility.

Some of the best classic TV shows feature an incredibly cool female lead character. While many of the best TV shows of all time have diverse casts, with characters of varying genders, races, and sexualities, those with a female lead typically stand out. Representation in TV is unbelievably important, and many look up to these strong female characters, regardless of how they identify themselves.

The label cool can vary in definition, depending on who is watching. Many consider a cool character to be someone who is suave and lives an exciting life, and while this isn’t incorrect, others can be considered as such because they are relatable to audiences. These female leads are cool in several different ways, but ultimately, they are remembered for their unique personalities and being the face of their respective shows.

Jessica Fletcher Murder, She...

In the fall of 1984, CBS found a surprise hit with a show about a retired widow turned best-selling mystery novelist and amateur sleuth. On September 30, 1984, Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher began her reign as TV’s premier amateur detective, making “Murder, She Wrote” a top 10 show for much of its 12-year run. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link, the minds behind the successful “Columbo” series, and Peter S. Fischer, “Murder She Wrote” was both a throwback to popular whodunnit series of the past and a groundbreaking series that ushered in a new era of representation for middle-aged women on TV.

After Jean Stapleton declined the role, Lansbury signed on to play J.B. Fletcher, over a decade after playing Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple in “The Mirror Crack’d” (1980). A full-time TV series was new territory for the 58-year-old, a four-time Tony winner (at the time) and thrice-time Oscar-nominated veteran actress.

In the fall of 1984, CBS found a surprise hit with a show about a retired widow turned best-selling mystery novelist and amateur sleuth. On September 30, 1984, Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher began her reign as TV’s premier amateur detective, making “Murder, She Wrote” a top 10 show for much of its 12-year run. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link, the minds behind the successful “Columbo” series, and Peter S. Fischer, “Murder She Wrote” was both a throwback to popular whodunnit series of the past and a groundbreaking series that ushered in a new era of representation for middle-aged women on TV.

After Jean Stapleton declined the role, Lansbury signed on to play J.B. Fletcher, over a decade after playing Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple in “The Mirror Crack’d” (1980). A full-time TV series was new territory for the 58-year-old, a four-time Tony winner (at the time) and thrice-time Oscar-nominated veteran actress.

Some fictional characters are so intrinsically tied to the people who portrayed them that it's nearly impossible to picture anyone else in that role. Columbo, the disheveled detective who helped take down the bad guys on TV over three decades on the series of the same name, just couldn't be anyone but Peter Falk. That's like suggesting someone other than Alan Alda play the television version of Hawkeye on "M.A.S.H."! Dressed in an eternally-wrinkled, too-big trenchcoat and always chomping on a cigar, Falk brings both a unique appearance and performance to the character, looking and acting unlike any other cop on TV. Without Falk, "Columbo" may never have been successful, and it certainly wouldn't have been the same. Back when the series was first being developed, however, the people in charge had some very different performers in mind.

"Columbo" was created by writers Richard Levinson and William Link, who first...

The late great Peter Falk was born on September 16, 1927, and his detective drama “Columbo” is as timeless as it is entertaining. In the whole of television history, few actors have been as identified with a single character than was Falk with Lieutenant Columbo, the eccentric, rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-clad, implausibly wily Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who always got his man. In the process, Falk and the producers revolutionized what a cop show could be.

It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys..

SEE30 best TV detectives ranked

From the first official installment of “Columbo” – entitled “Murder by the Book” and featuring Jack Cassidy as the...

Poker Face is a new series written, directed, and produced by Rian Johnson. The Peacock series is the first television series created by the famed filmmaker of the Knives Out film franchise. Starring Natasha Lyonne in the lead role, the mystery thriller series has a lot of talent on and off the camera. Poker Face is a weekly whodunnit mystery drama with Charlie Cale, who can detect lies. So, if you loved the procedural and mystery drama aspect of Poker Face, here are some of the best procedural crime drama shows you should check out next.

Columbo Credit – NBC

Columbo is one of the most iconic procedural crime drama series created by Richard Levinson and William Link. The NBC and ABC series follows the story of Columbo, an LAPD homicide detective who solves some of the most brutal and complex murders in the City of Angels. Columbo stars Peter Falk in the lead role,...

Retired Wheel of Fortune host, Pat Sajak is ready to show off his acting chops. Now that he is done with his game show days, he is ready for another closeup. So, what does Pat have planned now that he is done with the wheel? Keep reading for more details.

Wheel Of Fortune Pat Sajak Ready To Show Off Acting Chops

Pat Sajak has taken his final bow as the host of Wheel of Fortune. His last episode aired on Friday, June 7th and, in September 2024, Ryan Seacrest will take over. Vanna White will still be a part of the long-running game show as her contract runs through 2026. Many viewers were sad to see the end of an era when Pat exited the series but he won’t be sitting around doing nothing. The seventy-seven-year-old father of two has a new project that he is working on and it is very exciting.

Pat Sajak’s fans will get to see the TV legend in an all-new light.

That’s because the former Wheel of Fortune host will showcase his acting skills and appear in a play next year.

Wheel of Fortune fans have come to know Pat as a beloved game show host, but he’s also a talented actor.

In addition to spending his newly-acquired free time doing crossword puzzles and looking forward to playing with his future grandchildren, Pat will be busy again next year.

Pat will make his debut as Dr. Roy Flemming at the Hawai’i Theatre in Honolulu from July 31 through August 10, 2025.

As Variety confirmed, Pat will reunite with Joe Moore—a Khon-tv Hawai’i newscaster/actor and Pat’s longtime buddy—for the play Prescription: Murder.

Pat will play Dr. Roy Flemming in Prescription: Murder. Pic credit: hawaiitheatre.com

Pat and Joe will star opposite each other,...

Pat Sajak is already coming out of retirement. The Wheel of Fortune host is stepping down after 41 seasons. Friday, June 7 is his last day. Keep on reading to learn more.

Stepping Down From Wheel Of Fortune

That was fast. Pat Sajak is announcing his first gig after his retirement. The longtime host shocked Wheel of Fortune fans when he announced he was leaving his position. Sajak is gearing up for retirement. In the meantime, fans will prepare themselves for Ryan Seacrest, who is replacing him on the show.

Sajak was the host of America’s Game Show for 41 years. That’s a long time to have one position. He was lucky to become the host of the classic game show that’s fascinated fans for decades. Sajak won three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Game Show Host.

He was also nominated 19 times throughout those 41 years. That’s an impressive feat that...

While the Wheel Of Fortune will never be the same without long-time host and legend, Pat Sajak, he has other fish to fry. Although he is preparing and ready for the final spin to air, Pat had one leg out the door with his new gig already lined up before the season finale.

End Of An Era

Now that the final spin is about to air, it has been a week of memory lane for the Wheel Of Fortune cast. Admittedly, Pat Sajak knows it will be “okay” for him to move on from the life he’s known for more than four decades. Confessing to his daughter, Maggie Sajak, he says, “I’d rather leave a couple of years too early, than a couple of years too late.” Although he knows he could still give the show more time, he says there are some other things he would like to do in his life.

The Wheel of Fortune stops spinning for longtime host Pat Sajak tomorrow, when his final show airs. But retirement is not in the offing.

Sajak now plans to join friend and Khon-tv Hawaii newscaster Joe Moore for a stage production of Prescription: Murder that begins at the end of next month. The show is adapted from the pilot episode of TV’s Columbo, originally written by William Link and Richard Levinson. Rob Duval directs.

Sajak and Moore will co-star at downtown Honolulu’s Hawaii Theatre from July 31 to Aug. 10, 2025. Moore’s son, Bryce, along with Therese Olival, Amy K. Sullivan, and Aiko Chinen round out the cast.

Prescription: Murder is the ninth stage collaboration for Sajak and Moore. Past performances include Moore’s original play, Prophecy and Honor, a 2001 revival of The Odd Couple, a 2004 turn with The Honeymooners, 2010’s The Boys in Autumn, Wrestling Ernest Hemingway in 2014, Dial M...

Pat Sajak — whose final episode after 41 seasons as host of “Wheel of Fortune” airs this Friday — has already lined up his first post-game show gig. Sajak is set to reunite with longtime buddy Joe Moore, the Khon-tv Hawai’i newscaster and actor, back on stage in a new take on the play “Prescription: Murder.”

Sajak and Moore will star opposite each other in the play at downtown Honolulu’s Hawaii Theatre next summer, from July 31 to Aug. 10, 2025. The Hawaii Theatre is set to reveal the news on Friday, via a commercial that will run on Khon-tv during Sajak’s final “Wheel” episode.

The 1962 mystery-thriller “Prescription: Murder” was written by William Link and Richard Levinson, who turned the play into the TV series “Columbo.” The plot to “Prescription: Murder” was adapted for the “Columbo” first episode.

In the Hawaii Theatre version, Sajak will play “brilliant psychiatrist Roy Flemming, who hatches a...

The deceptively unassuming figure of Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk), with his rumpled raincoat, cheap cigars, and seeming absentmindedness, might not call to mind the sprawling existentialist novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky. But Columbo’s ancestry can be traced all the way back to Porfiry Petrovich, the pesky, psychologically attuned investigator in Crime and Punishment.

Like that literary classic, the show that shares Columbo’s name functions as an inverted detective story, not so much a whodunit as a howcatchem. In each episode, we spend time with the murderer, soak up their milieu, and witness the commission of the crime. Only then does Columbo make his entrance onto the scene. From there, it’s an escalating battle of nerves between the dogged detective and the initially arrogant murderer.

While Rodion Raskolnikov, the tortured protagonist of Crime and Punishment, is an impoverished student who kills out of economic necessity...

Peter S. Fischer, co-creator of “Murder, She Wrote,” died in a care facility in Pacific Grove, Calif. on Oct. 30. He was 88.

Fischer’s grandson Jake McElrath confirmed the news of his death.

Fischer was a writer, producer and novelist, known for penning over 40 scripts for “Murder, She Wrote.” He created the series alongside Richard Levinson and William Link. He also served as executive producer for several seasons. The hit murder-mystery crime show spanned 12 seasons, running from 1984-1992. Angela Lansbury starred as Jessica Fletcher, a widow who is both a mystery writer and amateur detective. She lives in the small coastal Maine town of Cabot Cove, where she frequently solves murders a step ahead of the police.

In a similar vein, Fischer also wrote 12 episodes of “Columbo,” the long-running crime drama about Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk), a homicide detective in Los Angeles. He additionally penned a season of “Ellery Queen,” another...

Peter S. Fischer, co-creator of Murder, She Wrote and writer on dozens of crime series such as Columbo, Ellery Queen and Murder spinoff The Law and Harry McGraw, has died. Grandson Jake McElrath confirmed his passing to The Hollywood Reporter. Fischer was 88.

Peter S. Fischer is best known for co-creating the juggernaut Murder, She Wrote franchise with Richard Levinson and William Link. He wrote 264 episodes of the CBS series, including the pilot, which ran from 1984-1996. The lighthearted mystery drama landed in the Top 10 for eight of those seasons and the Top 15 for the first 11.

Fischer also created and wrote 15 episodes of spinoff The Law and Harry McGraw, starring Jerry Orbach. It spotlighted McGraw, a private investigator who appeared in three episodes of Murder, She Wrote. It ran for one season from 1987 to 1988.

The year after the Angela Lansbury-starring show ended, Fischer wrote a TV movie featuring the Jessica Fletcher...

Peter S. Fischer, the prolific television writer behind “Murder, She Wrote” and “Columbo,” passed away on Monday, his grandson Jake McElrath told TheWrap. He was 88.

“We are very lucky to have so much of his work still accessible, like pieces of him left behind,” McElrath said in a statement to TheWrap. “He was an amazing presence to have in our lives, our Pa. We are all going to miss him.”

Fischer, who was nominated for three Emmy Awards across the duration of his career, is also known for his work on “Ellery Queen” and “The Eddie Capra Mysteries.” No further details about Fischer’s death are known at this time.

Born in 1935, Fischer’s longstanding career in Hollywood stretches back to writing 1971 TV movie “The Last Child,” before writing several TV episodes on “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law,” “Griff,” “Kojak” and “Baretta.”

The TV writer went...

Peter S. Fischer, the late-blooming TV writer and producer who co-created Murder, She Wrote after serving on such other crime-solving series as Columbo, Baretta and Ellery Queen, has died. He was 88.

Fischer died Monday at a care facility in Pacific Grove, California, his grandson Jake McElrath announced.

He became a prolific novelist after he exited Hollywood, writing murder mysteries, of course.

Fischer, who had worked with Columbo co-creators Richard Levinson and William Link on the iconic Peter Falk series as well as on the Jim Hutton-starring Ellery Queen, accompanied the pair to a meeting with CBS executives in 1984, he recalled in a 2011 interview.

“CBS wanted to do a murder mystery and they called Dick, who was our ringleader. He said, ‘Ok, I’ll bring the boys,'” Fischer said. “We went over there and pitched a premise called Blacke’s Magic, about a retired magician who solves mysteries. It became...

NBCUniversal has reached a deal to resolve a long-running case over back profits it allegedly owes to the creators of Columbo.

The heirs of William Link and Richard Levinson have settled their lawsuit against the studio, according to a court notice filed Monday, averting a trial that was scheduled to start next month. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

University City Studios was sued by Foxcroft Productions and Fairmont Productions in 2017 in a lawsuit accusing it of shortchanging the Columbo creators on profits. Although Columbo has generated $600 million in gross revenue, the plaintiffs say the studio has only paid the loan-out companies $5 million because it deducted distribution fees.

The case has bounced around among a jury, multiple judges and a state appellate court. Jurors in 2019 found that Universal wasn’t entitled to deduct distribution fees in accounting to profit participants. A panel of accounting referees, tasked with analyzing income and expense statements,...

Columbo subverts classic whodunnit tropes by revealing the killer's identity early, creating suspense as they try to get away with their crimes. The show features famous guest stars including Roddy McDowall, Janet Leigh, Vincent Price, and Faye Dunaway, adding to the thrill of each episode. Actors like Leslie Nielsen, Johnny Cash, William Shatner, and Dick Van Dyke showcase their range by playing dramatic or villainous roles in Columbo.

One of the standout features of Richard Levinson and William Link's iconic detective series was the number of iconic Columbo guest stars that appeared. First airing in 1971, Columbo follows Lieutenant Columbo, a quirky yet shrewd LAPD homicide detective who investigates and solves murder cases. Columbo has many trademark features that have made the character iconic such as his beige raincoat, his cigar-smoking habit, his old Peugeot 403 car, his love of chili and his wife (who is never seen), and his iconic catchphrase,...

Saturday marks 96 years since the great Peter Falk was born (9-16-27), which strikes us as a great reason to revisit a detective drama as timeless as it is entertaining. In the whole of television history, few actors have been as identified with a single character than was Falk with Lieutenant Columbo, the eccentric, rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-clad, implausibly wily Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who always got his man. In the process, Falk and the producers revolutionized what a cop show could be. We’re wishing him a Happy Birthday, even though he left us on June 23, 2011.

It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys.

Murder, She Wrote is getting rebooted in the form of a feature film.

Decades after the murder mystery series dominated television, a Murder, She Wrote movie has entered development at Universal Pictures. Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) is reportedly attached as a producer, while Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo — the writers of the new Paul Dano film Dumb Money — are penning the script. While Blum and Angelo are said to have boarded the project ahead of the Writers Guild of America strike, the screenplay hasn't yet been completed. Work will not resume until the end of the strike. This was first reported on by film scooper Jeff Sneider with Variety subsequently confirming the news.

Related: Angela Lansbury's Best Film and TV Roles

Murder, She Wrote was created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson, and William Link. Airing from 1984 to 1996, the show was a big success, ultimately spanning...

Universal Pictures has commissioned a film adaptation of Murder, She Wrote, the beloved murder mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher. The film is currently on pause due to the ongoing writers' strike, but the writers, Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, have expressed their excitement for the project. Alongside the Murder, She Wrote film, the creative team has other projects in the works, including Wolfman with Ryan Gosling and Bride starring Scarlett Johansson.

A film adaptation of the beloved murder mystery series Murder, She Wrote is headed our way. The critically acclaimed series followed mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher (portrayed by the late Angela Lansbury) as she solved murders. Universal Pictures has commissioned Dumb Money writers Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo and producer Amy Pascal to work on the film, which is currently on pause due to the ongoing writers' strike.

Speaking with Collider, the...

“Murder, She Wrote” is getting a movie reboot. Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, the writing duo behind the Toronto International Film Festival hit “Dumb Money,” say they have written the script for the film, which will be produced through Amy Pascal’s Pascal Pictures for Universal.

“We have written a theatrical feature film version of Murder, She Wrote for Universal, and we’re really excited,” Schuker Blum told Collider over the weekend while promoting “Dumb Money” in Toronto.

The duo say the film is currently on hold and that they haven’t spoken with Pascal Pictures or Universal since the strike began. They joined the project before the strike began.

Originally running on CBS from 1984-1996, “Murder, She Wrote” starred Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, a widowed mystery writer who applies her skill writing whodunnits to solving real life homicides. It was a top 10 ratings getter for most of...

A “Murder, She Wrote” movie is in the works at Universal Pictures, with “Dumb Money” writers Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo and producer Amy Pascal attached, Variety has confirmed.

Blum and Angelo joined the project prior to the writers strike, and will not resume their work on the screenplay until the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a deal. The “Murder, She Wrote” film is among the writers’ next projects, Blum and Angelo’s representatives shared with Variety.

The original “Murder, She Wrote” series starred Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, who solves murders that occur in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine. The crime drama series ran on CBS for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996. Lansbury scored an Emmy nomination for every season, but never won the award.

“Murder, She Wrote” was created by Peter S. Fischer,...

Let’s put our cards on the table: Almost three years after Peacock launched, the Comcast-owned streamer finally has a legitimate potential breakout show in Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson’s Poker Face.

Debuting with four episodes Friday and then dropping the rest of its 10-episode first season weekly, the one-hour drama could prove the dramatic reset the sports-focused Peacock has needed since day one.

Part of that is clearly the combined star power and skills of the Russian Doll star and the Knives Out director, along with a wonderfully villainous Benjamin Bratt and an old-school awards-show phalanx of guest stars. True to the talent on both sides of the camera, Poker Face’s winning hand has a lot to do with how well-crafted and constructed it is.

However, besides a beat-up Plymouth Barracuda, Rockford Files trailer home homages and all, the wider appeal of Poker Face is that...

When a film or a television show is well-written, even characters who never appear on-screen can cast a long shadow. Think of all the titles where the titular character is nothing but a memory. There are also horror films where the frightening monster remains offscreen but terrifies the viewer nonetheless. In television sitcoms, the notion of the unseen character often becomes an amusing gag. Some viewers love this narrative trick for its hilarity or sinister abilities whereas others hate it.

By dangling these characters out of reach, film and television writers toy with our desire to see more -- forcing viewers to use their imaginations and envision what these individuals look like and who they are. Whether you love this trope or hate it, it's one you're bound to encounter now and then. To better understand how this practice has endured, here's a handy list of some of the most...

What role you remember first when you think of Angela Lansbury speaks to how old you are — with an extraordinary career spanning more than 80 years, Lansbury brought indelible performances to generations of filmgoers, stage fans, and TV watchers.

Perhaps your go-to is Jessica Fletcher, the TV sleuth she played from 1984-1996. Or maybe you get a shiver of delight thinking of her Broadway turns as the madcap Mame Dennis of “Mame” or the duplicitous Mrs. Lovett of “Sweeney Todd.” Some fans embrace her as the loving mother-turned-teapot in the animated “Beauty and the Beast” while others get a cold sweat recalling her ruthless mommy in the original “The Manchurian Candidate.”

There are no wrong answers here; for most of the 20th century and a decent chunk of the 21st, Angela Lansbury did it all — drama, comedy, musical, stage, screen, warm, terrifying — and she did it brilliantly.

Born in London in...

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Angela Lansbury, the irrepressible three-time Oscar nominee and five-time Tony Award winner who solved 12 seasons’ worth of crimes as the novelist/amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher on CBS’ Murder, She Wrote, has died. She was 96.

Lansbury, who received an Emmy nomination for best actress in a drama series for each and every season of Murder, She Wrote — yet never won — died in her sleep at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles, her family announced. She was five days shy of her birthday.

Lansbury went 0-for-18 in career Emmy noms but did get some love from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who gave her an honorary Oscar in 2013 for her career as “an entertainment icon who has created some of cinema’s most memorable characters, inspiring generations of actors.”

The London-born Lansbury, then 19, received a best supporting actress...

The “made for television movie” began in the 1960s. In fact, one of the most famous TV movies Don Siegel’s 1964 version of “The Killers” featuring Ronald Reagan in his last film role as a ruthless villain, ended up being released theatrically because it was considered too violent for television.

But the genre came of age in the 1970s.

Some of these movies that aired on the three broadcast networks were sheer shlock and others were pilots for prospective TV series. But it was also an embarrassment of riches. Who could forget the beloved 1971 ABC biopic “Brian’s Song,” starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, which was nominated for 11 Emmys and won five including outstanding single program (drama or comedy). The four-hankie weepie was so popular it was released theatrically.

Also briefly released theatrically was Steven Spielberg’s pulsating 1971 classic “Duel” starring Dennis Weaver which aired on ABC. Considered one...

Producers of the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony honored almost all of the expected people who died this past year. Who was not featured during the emotional In Memoriam segment Sunday night on CBS? Prominent performers and character actors such as Frank Bonner, Sean Connery, Michael Constantine, Abby Dalton, James Hampton, Bruce Kirby, Norman Lloyd, Helen Reddy and Jane Withers were not part of the 49 people included.

While over 100 celebrated television people died since last year’s event in mid-September of 2020, the segment generally only makes room for less than 50. Among those featured Sunday night: TV Academy Hall of Fame members actor Ed Asner, production designer Roy Christopher, actress Cloris Leachman, writer/producer William Link and actress Cicely Tyson. Current nominee Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) and “Saturday Night Live” veteran Norm Macdonald sadly passed away this month as well.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery

The 49 people featured...

Producers of this Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony have some difficult decisions to make about who to honor during the emotional In Memoriam segment. Cedric the Entertainer will host the 2021 Emmys for CBS at 8:00 p.m. Et; 5:00 p.m. Pt. A total of 34 presenters have been announced so far.

Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2020. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actor Ed Asner, production designer Roy Christopher, actress Cloris Leachman, writer/producer William Link and actress Cicely Tyson. Current nominee Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) sadly passed away this month as well.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2021: In Memoriam Gallery

Ed Asner (actor)

Dana Baratta (writer/producer)

Anne Beatts (writer)

Ned Beatty (actor)

William Blinn (writer)

Frank Bonner (actor)

Perry Botkin,...

Over the course of this horrendous year, many of us have found comfort in watching iconic TV shows such as Columbo and Murder, She Wrote, but there's sad news to report today as it's been announced that William Link, the co-creator of those very shows, has died of congestive heart failure at the age of 87. Together with his longtime writing and producing partner Richard Levinson,…...

William Link, the co-creator of classic TV series including “Columbo” and “Murder, She Wrote,” has died at the age of 87.

Link’s widow, Margery Nelson, told Deadline that her husband died of congestive heart failure on Sunday.

A prolific TV writer-producer throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, Link was best known for his collaborations with writing partner and longtime friend Richard Levinson.

Link and Levinson co-created dozens of shows together, including “Murder She Wrote,” “Columbo,” “Mannix,” “Jericho” and “Ellery Queen.” The duo also co-authored the books “Stay Tuned: An Inside Look at the Making of Prime-Time Television” and “Off Camera: Conversations with the Makers of Prime-time Television.”

Steven Spielberg, who counts the pilot episode of “Columbo” as one of his first directing credits in Hollywood, remembered Link as a generous and patient mentor.

“Bill’s truly good nature always inspired me to do good work for a man who, along with Dick Levinson,...

William Link, a writer and producer known for co-creating “Columbo” and “Murder, She Wrote,” died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles on Sunday, his niece confirmed to Variety. He was 87.

Over the course of Link’s decades-long television career, he became known for working alongside screenwriter and producer Richard Levinson. The duo collaborated on a number of projects, including both “Columbo” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

Steven Spielberg, who directed the first episode of “Columbo,” paid tribute to Link on Tuesday.

“Bill’s truly good nature always inspired me to do good work for a man who, along with Dick Levinson, was a huge part of what became my own personal film school on the Universal lot,” Spielberg said in a statement. “Bill was one of my favorite and most patient teachers and, more than anything, I learned so much from him about the true anatomy of a plot. I...

Prolific television writer-producer William Link, co-creator of classic TV series including Columbo and Murder She Wrote among others, died Sunday, December 27 of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, his wife, Margery Nelson, told Deadline. He was 87.

Link was born in Elkins Park, Pa, a suburb of Philadelphia, on December 15, 1933.

In a career spanning more than 60 years, Link was best known for his collaboration with the late Richard Levinson. The two – who first met at the age of 14 and began collaborating almost immediately on stories, radio scripts, and dramas – saw television’s potential to capture the current scene and contribute to the national discussion about such subjects as race relations, student unrest, and gun violence.

Co-created by Link and Levinson, Columbo, starring Peter Falk as LAPD homicide detective Columbo aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978. The character and show popularized the inverted detective story format, which begins by showing the commission of the crime and its perpetrator.

William Link, the co-creator of TV series Columbo and Murder, She Wrote, has died. The two-time Emmy winner died Sunday in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. He was 87.

Link and his writing and producing partner, Richard Levinson, collaborated on Columbo, Mannix, Ellery Queen, Murder, She Wrote and several other series and television movies. The pair won two Emmys for writing — for the 1970 TV movie My Sweet Charlie and for Columbo in 1971. They were nominated nine other times, including a best drama series nod in 1985 as executive producers of Murder, She Wrote.

Link was born Dec. 15, 1933, in suburban Philadelphia and ...

William Link, the co-creator of TV series Columbo and Murder, She Wrote, has died. The two-time Emmy winner died Sunday in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. He was 87.

Link and his writing and producing partner, Richard Levinson, collaborated on Columbo, Mannix, Ellery Queen, Murder, She Wrote and several other series and television movies. The pair won two Emmys for writing — for the 1970 TV movie My Sweet Charlie and for Columbo in 1971. They were nominated nine other times, including a best drama series nod in 1985 as executive producers of Murder, She Wrote.

Link was born Dec. 15, 1933, in suburban Philadelphia and ...

On Nov. 8, Norman Lloyd will celebrate his 106th birthday, which is just one more accomplishment for a man whose nearly-100-year career is filled with amazing milestones. Lloyd worked as an actor, director and/or producer in theater, the early days of radio, film and TV. He wasn’t a household name, but he has always been well known and respected within the industry — not only for his work, but for the people he worked with. That list includes Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Elia Kazan, Jean Renoir, Robin Williams, Martin Scorsese, Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, Cameron Diaz, Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer.

As his contemporary Karl Malden summed up in 2007, “He is the history of our industry.”

Lloyd was born Norman Perlmutter Nov. 8, 1914, in Jersey City, N.J. He took singing and dancing lessons and was a paid professional by the age of 9. He performed with...

On Aug. 11, 1943, Variety carried a story beginning “Angela Lansbury, 17-year-old English girl, is the colony’s latest Cinderella.” The story said she had gone from an unknown to movie star in only four days.

Since then, Lansbury has forged a career that defies all logic. She received supporting-actress Oscar nominations twice in her first two years of work. At age 41, she became a musical-comedy star with “Mame.” She became a TV star with “Murder, She Wrote” at age 59, an age when most actresses can’t find work. In the show’s 12-year run, she was one of the TV industry’s most powerful women. Maybe her biggest accomplishment: Though powerful women were sometimes maligned, it was thought you needed to be heartless to survive in showbiz, Lansbury has created a 77-year career and nobody has a bad word to say about her.

Lansbury, who turns 95 Friday, is best known for...

LGBT TV movies, series and specials are part of our cultural landscape. They are frequently awarded with Emmys, Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards. But this acceptance was a long time coming. Here’s a look back at the landmark telefilms that paved the way.

Do you know the first TV movie that featured a gay character? No, it wasn’t 1972’s “That Certain Summer.”

It was a drama called “South” that was produced by England’s ITV and aired on that network on Nov. 24, 1959. Set in the Antebellum South, the drama revolved around a handsome Polish army lieutenant living in the South who is torn between his love for a plantation owner’s niece or a hunky blond officer. “South” was incredibly daring for its time, especially since it would be eight years before homosexuality was legalized in England and Wales with the passing of the Sexual Offences...

Columbo’s circumstantial way of solving a TV crime now has a real-life judicial aspect too, it seems.

Just over a month after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge awarded $70.3 million in profit participation to the creators of the iconic Peter Falk-led detective series, the same judge today threw his own judgment out and ordered a new trial.

“Needless to say, we are pleased the Court agreed with our position on the pivotal contract issue and look forward to concluding what little remains of the case,” attorney Daniel Petrocelli said on behalf of NBCUniversal after its November 5 motion to have a new trial was granted. That pivotal contract issue was the definition of “photoplays,” which the paperwork did allow distributor Universal to deduct. Due to the multi-phase nature of the case, the definition wasn’t given to the jurors until after they had awarded the big bucks — a fatal...

Universal won't have to write a $70.6 million damages check to the creators of Columbo as a Los Angeles judge has granted its motion for a new trial.

William Link and the heirs of Richard Levinson, through their corporate entities, in November 2017 sued Universal City Studios alleging they were shorted on profits from the 1970s detective series. A jury in March sided with the creators, finding Universal isn't allowed to a distribution fee from gross profits when it acts as distributor. On Oct. 31, a judgment of $70.6 million was entered against the company.

On Nov. 5,...

Universal City Studios must pay nearly $70.7 million in back profits and interest to the creators of Columbo, as an L.A. judge on Thursday entered judgement following a three-phase trial.

William Link and heirs of Richard Levinson in November 2017 sued, through their corporate entities, claiming they weren't paid their share of profits from the '70s detective series until 45 years later, and, even then, they were shorted.

A jury earlier this year unanimously found that Universal is not allowed to a distribution fee from gross profits when it acts as distributor and that plaintiffs hadn't waited ...

A panel of accounting referees, tasked with figuring out what Universal City Studios owed to the creators of the 1970s detective series Columbo, have concluded the right amount is $76.95 million.

The lawsuit was brought by William Link and heirs of Richard Levinson, who waited 45 years before getting their first profit participation check despite Columbo reaping hundreds of millions in revenue from broadcast and home video distribution.

The case went to trial in March, and the jury's conclusion was that the plaintiffs hadn't waited too long to bring claims, and furthermore, that Universal wasn't entitled to deduct distribution ...

Last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury got to hear a new Columbo mystery and came to the conclusion that Universal City Studios wasn't allowed to deduct $160 million in distribution fees for the 1970s detective series. The verdict amounts to a big initial win for series co-creator William Link and the heirs of co-creator Richard Levinson, who waited 45 years before getting their first profit participation check despite Columbo taking in more than $600 million in revenue during its life cycle.

Through loan-out companies, Link and Levinson's heirs are suing Universal with contract and fraud claims. The lawsuit is ...

Long before he won 10 Emmys for three of the most iconic shows of all time, Steven Bochco, who died Sunday at 74 after a long battle with leukemia, received his first nomination for penning a 1971 episode of “Columbo” — and was “conned” into believing he would win.

Besides Bochco, “Murder by the Book,” the Season 1 premiere, boasted another burgeoning titan, Steven Spielberg, who directed it. The episode was up for Best Drama Writing in a three-nominee field against two other “Columbo” hours: “Suitable for Framing” by Jackson Gillis, and “Death Lends a Hand” by creators Richard Levinson and William Link. It was Levinson who kept reassuring Bochco that he would win, Bochco told the Archive of American Television in 2012.

See In Memoriam 2018: Remember the stars we lost this year

“He kept saying to me, ‘You’re going to win. Yours is the best one. Yours is the best, you’re going to win,...

On March 31, 1973, NBC aired the political TV movie Savage, directed by an up-and-coming helmer: Steven Spielberg. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below.

In Savage, Martin Landau is a television newsman who must decide whether to expose the marital indiscretion of a Supreme Court nominee. The script, by executive producers William Link and Richard Levinson, and writer Mark Rodgers, is a muddle that comes on like a bold, hard-hitting exposé of politics and the media, but ends up pulling more punches than a free-for-all in a hemophilia ward. 

Will Geer plays a wealthy Bel-Air party-giver with a ...