BLINN, William 1937–

PERSONAL

Full name, William Frederick Blinn; born July 21, 1937, in Toledo, OH; son of Clare 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. Education: Graduate of American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York City. Politics: Democrat.

Addresses: Agent— Len Rosenberg, William Morris Agency, 151 South El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career: Producer and writer. Blinn–Thorpe Productions, partner, 1977–84; Echo Cove Productions, principal.

Awards, Honors: Emmy Award, outstanding writing in a dramatic adaptation, George Foster Peabody Award, and Writers Guild of America Award, all 1971, for "Brian's Song," ABC Movie of the Week; Image Award, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1972, for The Rookies; Emmy Award, outstanding writing in a drama series (with Ernest Kinoy), and Television Critics Award, both 1977, for Roots: Part II; Humanitas Prize, sixty–minute category (with James Lee), Human Family Educational and Cultural Institute, 1977, for Roots: Part IV; Image Award, 1980, for "All God's Children," ABC Movie of the Week; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding drama series (with others), 1982 and 1983, both for Fame; Television Award, best adaptation in long–form category, Writers Guild of America, 1997, for The Boys Next Door; certificate from President's Council on Mental Retardation, for an episode of The Rookies.

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.

Television Work; 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 Purely Legal 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: Wings of 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 of the 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.

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 television movie Brian's Song was broadcast by ABC in 2001.