William Blinn Biography (1937-)
Full name, William Frederick Blinn; born July 21, 1937, in Toledo, OH; son ofClare Allen and Pearl Ariel (maiden name, Schaeffer) Blinn; married Annele Marie Louise Lagerborn, March 25, 1965 (marriage ended); married Patricia Rust(a producer and writer), May 17, 1997; children: (first marriage) Christopher Andrew, Anneliese Mae. Addresses: Agent: Len Rosenberg, William Morris Agency, 151 South El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Producer, writer
- Birth Details
- July 21, 1937
- Toledo, Ohio, United States
Famous Works
- CREDITS
- Television Work
- Series
- Creator, The Interns, 1970
- Creator and producer, The Rookies, ABC, 1972-1973
- Creator and executive producer, The New Land, ABC, 1974
- Creator, Starsky and Hutch, ABC, 1975
- Creator, Eight Is Enough, ABC, 1977
- Executive producer (with Jerry Thorpe), The Lazarus Syndrome, ABC,1979
- Executive producer (with Thorpe and Mace Neufeld), The American Dream (also known as The Novacks), ABC, 1981
- Executive producer, Fame, NBC, 1982-1983, syndicated, 1983-1984
- Executive producer, The City, ABC, 1986
- Executive producer (with Thorpe), Our House, NBC, 1987-1988
- Executive producer, Half 'n' Half, ABC, 1988
- Creator and executive producer, The Boys of Twilight, CBS, 1992
- Creator and executive producer, Heaven Help Us, syndicated, 1994
- Creator and executive producer, Pensacola: Wings of Gold, syndicated, 1997
- Creator, Reyes y Rey, Telemundo, 1998
- Also producer of The Wonderful World of Disney, NBC.
- Miniseries
- Producer (with Jerry Thorpe), The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove, ABC, 1979
- Executive producer, "Wild Jack" (also known as "Jack of the Wild," "McCall!," and "McCall of the Wild"), The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
- Television Executive Producer
- Movies
- (With Jerry Thorpe) "All God's Children," ABC Movie of the Week, ABC, 1980
- (With Thorpe) Happy Endings (also known as House of Cards),NBC, 1983
- Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion, 1987
- "Davy Crockett" (also known as "Davy Crockett: Rainbow in the Thunder"),The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1988
- "The Absent-Minded Professor," The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1988
- "Polly," The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
- "The Outside Woman," CBS Movie of the Week, ABC, 1989
- Parent Trap III, 1989
- Appearances, NBC, 1990
- Polly Comin' Home! (also known as Polly--One More Time!), NBC, 1990
- Television Producer
- Movies
- (With Jerry Thorpe) A Question of Love (also known as A PurelyLegal Matter), NBC, 1978
- Sticking Together, 1978
- Television Work
- Pilots
- Creator, Starsky and Hutch, ABC, 1975
- Producer (with Jerry Thorpe), Stickin' Together (also known as Wonderland Cove), ABC, 1978
- Executive producer, Bridges to Cross, CBS, 1986
- Creator and executive producer, Aaron's Way, NBC, 1988
- Stage Work
- Producer of The Wonder Years--A Baby Boom Musical Revue.
- WRITINGS
- Television Series
- Here Come the Brides, multiple episodes, between 1968 and 1969
- The Rookies, ABC, multiple episodes, between 1972 and 1974
- Television Episodes
- (With Michael Gleason) "Incident of the Portrait," Rawhide, 1962
- "The Man on the Couch," My Favorite Martian, CBS, 1963
- "A Nose for News," My Favorite Martian, CBS, 1964
- "The Debt," Bonanza, 1965
- (With Suzanne Clauser) "A Natural Wizard," Bonanza, 1965
- "All Ye His Saints," Bonanza, 1965
- Shane, ABC, 1966
- (With Jo Pagano and Dan Ullman) "The Unwritten Commandment," Bonanza, 1966
- "Spirit Woman," Custer, 1967
- "Plunder!," The Big Valley, 1967
- "Wonder," Gunsmoke (also known as Gun Law and Marshal Dillon), 1967
- "The Vise," The Invaders, ABC, 1968
- "A Joyful Noise," The High Chaparral, 1968
- "The Quality of Mercy," The Interns, 1970
- "Death Wish," The Interns, 1970
- "Miss Knock-a-bout," The Interns, 1970
- "The Casualty," The Interns, 1971
- "That Lonesome Old Caboose," Our House, NBC, 1986
- (With Robert Lenski) "Take a Cup of Kindness," Bridges to Cross, CBS, 1986
- "Yesterday, upon the Stair," Bridges to Cross, CBS, 1986
- "A Theory of Dark Thunder," Bridges to Cross, CBS, 1986
- Premiere episode, The Boys of Twilight, CBS, 1992
- Premiere episode, Heaven Help Us, syndicated, 1994
- "Yesterday, upon the Stair...: Parts 1 & 2," Pensacola: Wings of Gold, syndicated, 1997
- "Acceptable Casualties," Pensacola: Wings of Gold, syndicated, 1997
- (With wife, Patricia Rust) "Stranger, Lover, Friend," Pensacola: Wingsof Gold, syndicated, 1998
- Also wrote episodes of The American Dream (also known as The Novacks), ABC; Eight Is Enough, ABC; and Fame, NBC.
- Television Miniseries
- (With Ernest Kinoy, James Lee, and M. Charles Cohen) Roots, ABC, 1977
- A Man Called Intrepid, NBC, 1979
- The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove, ABC, 1979
- "Wild Jack" (also known as "Jack of the Wild," "McCall!," and "McCall ofthe Wild"), The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
- Television Movies
- "Brian's Song," ABC Movie of the Week, ABC, 1971
- A Question of Love (also known as A Purely Legal Matter), NBC, 1978
- "An Eclipse of Reason," ABC Movie of the Week, ABC, 1980
- Happy Endings (also known as House of Cards), NBC, 1983
- Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion, 1987
- "Davy Crockett" (also known as "Davy Crockett: Rainbow in the Thunder"),The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1988
- "Polly," The Magical World of Disney, NBC, 1989
- "The Outside Woman," CBS Movie of the Week, ABC, 1989
- Appearances, NBC, 1990
- Polly Comin' Home! (also known as Polly--One More Time!), NBC, 1990
- The Boys Next Door, CBS, 1996
- Television Pilots
- The Rookies, ABC, 1972
- Starsky and Hutch, ABC, 1975
- Hunter, CBS, 1976
- Stickin' Together (also known as Wonderland Cove), ABC, 1978
- The Lazarus Syndrome, ABC, 1979
- For Heaven's Sake, ABC, 1979
- The Naturals, NBC, 1983
- The City, ABC, 1986
- Bridges to Cross, CBS, 1986
- Aaron's Way, NBC, 1988
- Half 'n' Half, ABC, 1988
- Screenplays
- Purple Rain, Warner Bros., 1984
- Books
- Brian's Song, Bantam, 1983
Further Reference
ADAPTATIONS
- The television movie "All God's Children," featured on ABC Movie of the Week in 1980 was based on a story by Blinn. A remake of his televisionmovie Brian's Song was broadcast by ABC in 2001.