Robert A. Cinader
Encyclopedia
Robert A. Cinader was an American television producer best known for his work on two NBC
series packaged by actor/producer Jack Webb
's Mark VII Limited
, Adam-12
and Emergency!
. The latter show in particular was widely credited by observers as one of the most important efforts to promote the widespread adoption of paramedic
services by fire departments and hospitals in the U.S.
A native New Yorker
and an Army
veteran, Cinader first wrote for Holiday Magazine and later became head of the United Nations
' publications operation. Then he turned to the field of television syndication
, working for the William Morris Agency
and later for NBC
's syndication division, where he created a 1957 adventure series, The Silent Service
, a Dragnet
-like semi-documentary anthology about Naval submarines. Afterward, he worked for both Hal Roach
and Red Skelton
in the early 1960s.
While working a stint at Warner Brothers, Cinader was approached by Webb (a former head of the WB TV operation) to assist him in producing his 1967-70 revival of Dragnet, for Universal Studios
. While on that job, he devised a show for Mark VII that told the story of the police beat from the perspective of two LAPD patrol officers. The result, Adam-12
, ran on NBC from 1968 to 1975; Cinader was also the producer of that program during the early part of its run.
In 1971, while brainstorming for new program ideas, Cinader heard about a trial paramedic program that Los Angeles County
was undertaking with funding by the California State Legislature
. He became so enthralled with the idea that he persuaded Webb and Universal to make an entire show about the phenomenon. Emergency! was set in a fictional fire station, with trained firefighters attending to first aid and primary care of sick and injured victims on the scene, while electronically transmitting medical information to, and receiving instructions from, doctors and/or nurses at the fictional Rampart hospital. The show debuted as a mid-season replacement in early 1972, and despite facing the top-rated All in the Family
for most of its run on Saturday nights, Emergency! managed to gain a large following among young viewers, with a heavy emphasis on adventure and rescues, and with the help of a young, unfamiliar actor, Randolph Mantooth
, who in turn, became one of the breakout
stars of the series. It was so popular among youngsters that NBC spun off the show into a Saturday-morning cartoon
series for two years in the mid-1970s. The prime-time show itself ran for six seasons as a weekly show and two more as a series of two-hour made-for-TV movies. Cinader eventually became its executive producer; during the 1973-74 season, he also helmed Mark VII's Chase
, a similar adventure-based show. The following year, he would supervise an Emergency! knock-off of sorts, Sierra
, a show that lasted only 13 weeks.
, shown in Emergency!
as the fictional station 51, was re-named in his memory.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series packaged by actor/producer Jack Webb
Jack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
's Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited was the production company of actor, producer, and director Jack Webb, and was active from 1951 to 1982. Many of its series were produced in association with Universal Television; most of them aired on the NBC television network in the U.S....
, Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
and Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
. The latter show in particular was widely credited by observers as one of the most important efforts to promote the widespread adoption of paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
services by fire departments and hospitals in the U.S.
A native New Yorker
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and an Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
veteran, Cinader first wrote for Holiday Magazine and later became head of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' publications operation. Then he turned to the field of television syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
, working for the William Morris Agency
William Morris Agency
WME is the largest talent agency in the world, with offices in Beverly Hills, New York City, Nashville, London, and Miami. WME represents elite artists from all facets of the entertainment industry, including motion pictures, television, music, theatre, publishing, and physical production...
and later for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's syndication division, where he created a 1957 adventure series, The Silent Service
The Silent Service (TV series)
The Silent Service was a 1957–1958 syndicated anthology television series based on actual events in the submarine section of the United States Navy. The Silent Service was narrated by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, who retired from the Navy in 1949 after twenty-two years of service...
, a Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
-like semi-documentary anthology about Naval submarines. Afterward, he worked for both Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
and Red Skelton
Red Skelton
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
in the early 1960s.
While working a stint at Warner Brothers, Cinader was approached by Webb (a former head of the WB TV operation) to assist him in producing his 1967-70 revival of Dragnet, for Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
. While on that job, he devised a show for Mark VII that told the story of the police beat from the perspective of two LAPD patrol officers. The result, Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
, ran on NBC from 1968 to 1975; Cinader was also the producer of that program during the early part of its run.
In 1971, while brainstorming for new program ideas, Cinader heard about a trial paramedic program that Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
was undertaking with funding by the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
. He became so enthralled with the idea that he persuaded Webb and Universal to make an entire show about the phenomenon. Emergency! was set in a fictional fire station, with trained firefighters attending to first aid and primary care of sick and injured victims on the scene, while electronically transmitting medical information to, and receiving instructions from, doctors and/or nurses at the fictional Rampart hospital. The show debuted as a mid-season replacement in early 1972, and despite facing the top-rated All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
for most of its run on Saturday nights, Emergency! managed to gain a large following among young viewers, with a heavy emphasis on adventure and rescues, and with the help of a young, unfamiliar actor, Randolph Mantooth
Randolph Mantooth
Randolph Donald Mantooth is an American character actor of stage, film and television. Mantooth is best known for his work in the 1970s medical drama, Emergency!, as Johnny Gage, a Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedic...
, who in turn, became one of the breakout
Breakout character
A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books or other media that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated. Most often a breakout character in a television series captures the audience's imagination and helps to popularize the show, sometimes inadvertently...
stars of the series. It was so popular among youngsters that NBC spun off the show into a Saturday-morning cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
series for two years in the mid-1970s. The prime-time show itself ran for six seasons as a weekly show and two more as a series of two-hour made-for-TV movies. Cinader eventually became its executive producer; during the 1973-74 season, he also helmed Mark VII's Chase
Chase (1973 TV series)
Chase is an American television series that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1973 to August 28, 1974. The show was a production of Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television and marked the first show produced by Stephen J...
, a similar adventure-based show. The following year, he would supervise an Emergency! knock-off of sorts, Sierra
Sierra (TV series)
Sierra was a short-lived 1974 television crime drama series focusing on the efforts of National Park Service rangers to enforce federal law and to effect wilderness rescues. The program aired on NBC and was packaged by Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television. John Denver wrote the...
, a show that lasted only 13 weeks.
Death
Cinader died from cancer six days after his 58th birthday, a month before Webb also died. Cinader was survived by his wife of 31 years, Jean.Legacy
Cinader became so identified with the paramedic movement that he received an appointment to the local Emergency Medical Services commission. Also, Los Angeles County Fire Department station 127 in Carson, CaliforniaCarson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, shown in Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
as the fictional station 51, was re-named in his memory.
Sources
- Profile on "Emergency Fans" website
- Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present, Alex McNeil, New York: Penguin, revised ed., 1984.