William Blinn
Encyclopedia
William Frederick Blinn is an American
screenwriter
and television producer
.
, Blinn began his career in television in the 1960s. As a screenwriter, Blinn has written episodes of Rawhide
, Here Come the Brides
, Gunsmoke
, The Rookies
, and Fame
(where he also served as executive producer
). In 1971, Blinn wrote the screenplay for the television movie
Brian's Song
for which he won an Emmy
and Peabody Award. He won a second Emmy in 1977 for his work on the miniseries
Roots
. Blinn also created two series for producing mogul Aaron Spelling
: Starsky and Hutch
(Blinn later produced the 2004 film of the same name
); and the less-successful Heaven Help Us, which co-starred Ricardo Montalban
of Fantasy Island
fame.
Other famous William Blinn's series are Eight is Enough
and Fame
.
In addition to screenwriting (which includes Purple Rain
), Blinn has also produced several television series and television movies including Aaron's Way
, Polly: Comin' Home!, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
.
Career
Born in Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Blinn began his career in television in the 1960s. As a screenwriter, Blinn has written episodes of Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
, Here Come the Brides
Here Come the Brides
Here Come the Brides is an American comedy Western series from Screen Gems that aired on the ABC television network from September 25, 1968 to April 3, 1970...
, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, The Rookies
The Rookies
The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It followed the exploits of three rookie police officers in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department .-History:...
, and Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
(where he also served as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
). In 1971, Blinn wrote the screenplay for the television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Brian's Song
Brian's Song
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale...
for which he won an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and Peabody Award. He won a second Emmy in 1977 for his work on the miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Roots
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
. Blinn also created two series for producing mogul Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
: Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
(Blinn later produced the 2004 film of the same name
Starsky & Hutch (film)
Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s....
); and the less-successful Heaven Help Us, which co-starred Ricardo Montalban
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
of Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
fame.
Other famous William Blinn's series are Eight is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name...
and Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
.
In addition to screenwriting (which includes Purple Rain
Purple Rain (film)
Purple Rain is a 1984 film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. Prince makes his film debut in this movie, which was developed to showcase his particular talents, hence, the film contains several extended concert sequences. The film grossed more than US$80 million at...
), Blinn has also produced several television series and television movies including Aaron's Way
Aaron's Way
Aaron's Way is a 1988 American family drama series that aired on NBC. The series starred Merlin Olsen as Aaron Miller, the husband and father of an Amish family that moves to California. The series followed the attempts of family members to adapt to California culture while retaining their...
, Polly: Comin' Home!, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold
Pensacola: Wings of Gold
Pensacola: Wings of Gold is a syndicated American action/adventure drama series based at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. Episodes aired in several countries outside the US including Portugal, France, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Australia...
.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Won | Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation | Brian's Song |
| 1977 | Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series | Roots (Shared with Ernest Kinoy Ernest Kinoy -Early life:Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his father and mother were both high-school teachers. His older brother Arthur Kinoy later became a leading constitutional lawyer. Kinoy attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School and later Columbia University, although his studies... ) |
||
| 1982 | Nominated | Outstanding Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys ceremonies, and has changed names many times in its history. It was first called Best Dramatic Show... |
Fame (Shared with Gerald I. Isenberg, Stan Rogow Stan Rogow Stan Rogow is an American music manager, writer and producer of film and television.His television credits include Fame, Lizzie McGuire, Flight 29 Down, Darcy's Wild Life, State of Grace, Nowhere Man, the internet series Gemini Division, Woke Up Dead and Afterworld... , and Mel Swope) |
|
| 1983 | Outstanding Drama Series | Fame (Shared with Mel Swope) | ||
| 1984 | Outstanding Drama Series | Fame (Shared with Ken Ehrlich) | ||
| 1977 | Humanitas Prize Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious... |
Won | 60 Minute Category | Roots (Shared with James Lee for episode #4) |
| 1996 | Nominated | 90 Minute Category | The Boys Next Door The Boys Next Door (1996 film) The Boys Next Door is a 1996 television movie based on a play by Tom Griffin which was published in 1983 under the title Damaged Hearts, Broken Flowers and again in 1988 under the title The Boys Next Door... |
|
| 1972 | Peabody Awards | Won | Brian's Song | |
| 1997 | Writers Guild of America Award Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949... |
Adapted Long Form | The Boys Next Door |
External links
- William Blinn Interview at Archive of American TelevisionArchive of American TelevisionThe Archive of American Television is a division of the non-profit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation that films interviews with notable people from all aspects of the television industry....