TV Producer and Creator Glen A. Larson Passes Away at 77

Television producer, writer, and creator Glen A. Larson has passed away at the age of 77, according to reports confirmed across the media. Larson’s contributions to television include such beloved classics as ‘Knight Rider,’ ‘Magnum P.I.,’ the original ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ and he was involved in the development of ‘The Six Million Dollar Man.’ The three-time Emmy-nominated Larson began his career in 1956 as a member of the music group The Four Preps, and transitioned into television, working on the 1966 series ‘The Fugitive.’

Larson’s had a major influence on the modern television landscape, and had a hand in some of our most classic and treasured television series. His first major hit series was the Western ‘Alias Smith and Jones,’ and he went on to earn two Emmy nominations for his work on ‘McCloud.’ After ABC turned down a pilot based on Martin Caidin’s ‘Cyborg’ novel, Larson turned that pilot into two 1973 television movies called ‘The Six Million Dollar Man,’ which were incredibly well-received.

Larson went on to help develop ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ into a television series and was an executive producer, and the show lasted for five seasons. It’s now being updated for the big screen by Peter Berg. Larson also created the 1978 ‘Battlestar Galactica’ television series, which was eventually given an acclaimed update in 2003.

Among his other creations: ‘Quincy M.E.’ (for which he earned an Emmy nomination), ‘Knight Rider,’ and ‘Magnum P.I.’ Each and every one of these shows has had some influence on the modern state of television, from narrative style to his contributions to sci-fi television entertainment. And all of this from a guy who began his career as a member of a music group that appeared in a ‘Gidget’ film.

R.I.P. Glen A. Larson.