2010 in American television
Deaths -- March
Table:
Date
Name
Age
Notability
Ref.

March 4

Nan Martin

82

Actress (The Drew Carey Show)

[412]

March 10

Corey Haim

38

Actor (half of the acting duo The Two Coreys, also appeared in a reality show of the same name).

[413]

March 11

Merlin Olsen

69

Football player (Los Angeles Rams) and commentator (NBC/CBS Sports), actor (Little House on the Prairie, Father Murphy), commercial spokesman (FTD Florists)

[414]

March 14

Peter Graves

83

Actor (Mission: Impossible, 7th Heaven), host of Biography

[415]

March 18

Fess Parker

85

Actor (Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone)

[416]

March 19

Bill McIntyre

80

Actor (Newhart, Dallas, Murphy Brown)

[417]

March 21

Margaret Moth

58

New Zealand-born photojournalist for CNN

[418]

March 24

Robert Culp

79

Actor (I Spy, The Greatest American Hero, Everybody Loves Raymond)

[419]

March 25

Chet Simmons

81

Sports executive, first president of ESPN, later commissioner for the United States Football League

[420]

March 30

David Mills

48

Screenwriter (NYPD Blue, The Corner, Kingpin, ER, The Wire)

[421]

Using the accompanying table together with the passages below.

Answer the following question: The oldest person that was not in their 80s played what role on I Spy ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

Nan Martin ( July 15 , 1927 - March 4 , 2010 ) was an American actress who starred in movies and on television .
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from September 13 , 1995 to September 8 , 2004 . It was set in Cleveland , Ohio and revolved around the retail office and home life of everyman Drew Carey , a fictionalized version of the actor . The show was created by Carey , who had both stand-up comedy and writing experience , and Bruce Helford , who was once a writer for Roseanne . It was the first television show to have an episode simulcast on the Internet . Produced by Mohawk Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television , it debuted on September 13 , 1995 , and ranked among the Top 30 programs for four seasons before sliding in popularity . Ratings declined sharply during the final two seasons , and the last two episodes aired on September 8 , 2004 .
Corey Ian Haim ( December 23 , 1971 - March 10 , 2010 ) was a Canadian actor . He starred in a number of 1980s films , such as Lucas , Silver Bullet , Murphy 's Romance , License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream . His role alongside Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys made Haim a household name . Known as The Two Coreys , the duo became 1980s icons and appeared together in seven movies , later starring in the A & E American reality show The Two Coreys . Haim 's early success led to money and fame . He had difficulties breaking away from his experience as a teen actor , and was troubled by drug addiction throughout his later career . He died of pneumonia on March 10 , 2010 .
The Two Coreys ( also known as The Coreys ) were two actors , popular in the 1980s , Corey Feldman ( born 1971 ) and Corey Haim ( 1971-2010 ) . The two young actors appeared in many films together , most notably a number of successful teen-oriented films in the late 1980s . Feldman starred in Gremlins , The Goonies , Stand by Me , and Friday the 13th : The Final Chapter while Haim starred in Silver Bullet and Lucas before the duo were paired for the first time in 1987 's The Lost Boys . Becoming a brand , The Two Coreys achieved mainstream fame and notoriety as teen idols , but each later experienced a public downfall due to drug use . Their career together ended when Haim died in March 2010 .
The Two Coreys was an American reality show starring The Two Coreys ( actors Corey Feldman and Corey Haim ) and Feldman 's wife , Susie . The series aired for two seasons on A & E . The premiere date was July 29 , 2007 . The second season commenced on June 22 , 2008 . The show was cancelled during its second season , reportedly due to Feldman 's refusal to work with Haim until he stopped taking drugs . The final episode aired on August 17 , 2008 .
Merlin Jay Olsen ( /ˈoʊlsən/ ; September 15 , 1940 - March 11 , 2010 ) was an American football player , announcer , and actor . He played his entire 15-year professional football career in National Football League ( NFL ) as a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams . He was selected to the Pro Bowl a record 14 straight times , missing selection only in the last year of his career . This record of 14 seasons selected to play in the Pro Bowl , consecutive or otherwise , is shared with current New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady , former offensive lineman Bruce Matthews , former tight end Tony Gonzalez , and former quarterback Peyton Manning . A recipient of the 1961 Outland Trophy as the best lineman in college football , Olsen is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame . As an actor , he portrayed farmer Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie . After leaving that series , he starred in his own NBC drama , Father Murphy .
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area . The Rams compete in the National Football League ( NFL ) as a member club of the National Football Conference ( NFC ) West division . The club has won three NFL championships , and is the only one to win championships representing three cities ( Cleveland in 1945 , Los Angeles in 1951 , and St. Louis in 1999 ) . Starting in 2020 , the Rams will play their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood , which they will share with the Los Angeles Chargers . The franchise began in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams , based in Cleveland , Ohio . The club was owned by Homer Marshman and featured players such as William Bud Cooper , Harry The Horse Mattos , Stan Pincura , and Mike Sebastian . Damon Buzz Wetzel joined as general manager . The franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1946 following the 1945 NFL Championship Game victory , making way for Paul Brown 's Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference and becoming the only NFL championship team to play the following season in another city . The club played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving into a reconstructed Anaheim Stadium in Orange County , California in 1980 . The Rams left California and moved to St. Louis , Missouri , following the 1994 NFL season . Five seasons after relocating , the team won Super Bowl XXXIV in a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans . They then appeared in Super Bowl XXXVI , where they lost 20-17 to the New England Patriots .
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC , owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast , that is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network , and its dedicated national sports cable channels . Formerly operating as a service of NBC News , it broadcasts a diverse array of sports events , including the French Open , the IndyCar Series , NASCAR , the NFL , the NHL , Notre Dame football , Olympic Games , the PGA Tour , the Premier League , the Tour de France and the Triple Crown , among others . Other programming from outside producers - such as coverage of the Ironman Triathlon - is also presented on the network through NBC Sports . With Comcast 's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011 , its own cable sports networks were aligned with NBC Sports into a part of the division known as the NBC Sports Group .
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS . Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan , New York City , with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street . Its premier sports properties are professional basketball ( including BIG3 and the WNBA ) , NFL , Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) football , NCAA basketball ( including telecasts of the NCAA Men 's Basketball Tournament ) , and PGA Tour golf , including The Masters and the PGA Championship . The online arm of CBS Sports is CBSSports.com . CBS purchased SportsLine.com in 2004 , and today CBSSports.com is part of CBS Interactive . On February 26 , 2018 , following up on the success of their online news network CBSN , CBS Sports launched CBS Sports HQ , a 24/7 , online only , linear sports news network . The network focuses entirely on sports news , results , highlights and analysis . ( CBS Sports college sports and golf programming that it distributes over the air is generally made available for free via separate streams , as are a limited number of NFL national telecasts ; the remainder requires a CBS All Access subscription to be viewed online , with CBS Sports Network programming requiring a TV Everywhere subscription . ) CBS Sports was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Synchronous Enhancement of Original Television Content for Interactive Use for its program March Madness on Demand . On August 31 , 2013 , CBS Sports rolled out its previous graphics and animation package that was first used in the network 's coverage of Super Bowl XLVII . Additionally , in compliance with the Active Format Description # 10 code , CBS Sports switched to a 16:9 aspect ratio letterbox presentation used for all sports programming , including the SEC on CBS and the NFL on CBS broadcasts . On November 30 , 2015 , CBS Sports released a new logo in order to coincide with the network 's coverage of Super Bowl 50 .
Little House on the Prairie ( known as Little House : A New Beginning in its final season ) is an American western drama television series , starring Michael Landon , Melissa Gilbert , Karen Grassle , and Melissa Sue Anderson , about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove , Minnesota , in the 1870s , 1880s and 1890s . The show is an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder 's best-selling series of Little House books . Television producer and NBC executive Ed Friendly became aware of the story in the early 1970s . He asked Michael Landon to direct the pilot movie ; Landon agreed on the condition that he could also play Charles Ingalls . The regular series was preceded by a two-hour pilot movie , which first aired on March 30 , 1974 . The series premiered on the NBC network on September 11 , 1974 , and last aired on May 10 , 1982 . During the 1982-83 television season , with the departure of Landon and Grassle , the series was broadcast with the new title Little House : A New Beginning .
Father Murphy is an American western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3 , 1981 , to September 18 , 1983 . Michael Landon created the series , was the executive producer , and directed the show in partnership with William F. Claxton , Maury Dexter , Victor French and Leo Penn .
FTD LLC ( FTD ) , also known as Florists ' Transworld Delivery , is a floral wire service , retailer and wholesaler based in Downers Grove , Illinois , in the United States . FTD was founded as Florists ' Telegraph Delivery in 1910 , to help customers send flowers remotely on the same day by using florists in the FTD network who are near the intended recipient . It was based in Detroit , Michigan and then moved to Southfield , Michigan prior to its move to Downers Grove . It originated as a retailers ' cooperative and began a process of demutualization in 1994 . It operates two main businesses : The Consumer Business sells flowers and gift items through its websites and The Floral Business sells computer services , software and even fresh cut flowers to FTD and Interflora affiliated florists . Retail Florist Association ( formerly Extra Touch Florist Association and FTD Association ) is a trade association that originated as the member education , advocacy and quality assurance arm of FTD , breaking formal ties with FTD in 2001 . FTD processes orders through the Mercury Network , its international telecommunications service .
Peter Graves ( born Peter Duesler Aurness ; March 18 , 1926 - March 14 , 2010 ) was an American film and television actor . He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series Mission : Impossible from 1967 to 1973 ( original ) and from 1988 to 1990 ( revival ) . His elder brother was actor James Arness . Graves was also known for his portrayal of airline pilot Captain Clarence Oveur in the 1980 comedy film Airplane ! and its 1982 sequel Airplane II : The Sequel .
Mission : Impossible is an American television series created and initially produced by Bruce Geller , chronicling the exploits of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force ( IMF ) . In the first season , the team is led by Dan Briggs , played by Steven Hill ; Jim Phelps takes charge for the remaining seasons , played by Peter Graves . Each episode opens with a fast-paced montage of shots from that episode which unfolds as the series ' theme music plays , composed by Lalo Schifrin , after which Briggs or Phelps receives his instructions from a voice delivered on a recording which then destroys itself . The series was financed and filmed by Desilu Productions and aired on CBS from September 1966 to March 1973 . It was revived in 1988 for two seasons on ABC , retaining only Graves in the cast . It also inspired a series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise beginning in 1996 .
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series created and produced by Brenda Hampton that centers on the Camden family and their lives in the fictional town of Glenoak , California . The series debuted on August 26 , 1996 , on The WB , where it aired for ten seasons . Following the shutdown of The WB and its merger with UPN to form The CW , the series aired on the new network on September 25 , 2006 , for its eleventh and final season , airing its final episode on May 13 , 2007 . 7th Heaven was the last series to be produced by Spelling Television ( later produced by CBS Paramount Network Television for the eleventh and final season ) before it was shut down and became an in-name-only unit of CBS Television Studios .
Biography is a U.S. documentary television series and media franchise created in the 1960s by David L. Wolper and owned by A & E Networks since 1987 . Each episode depicts the life of a notable person with narration , on-camera interviews , photographs , and stock footage . The show originally ran in syndication in 1962-1964 , and in 1979 , on A & E from 1987 to 2006 , and on The Biography Channel ( later Bio , now FYI ) from 2006 to 2012 . After a five-year hiatus , the franchise was relaunched in 2017 . Over the years , the Biography media franchise has expanded domestically and internationally , spinning off several cable television channels , a website , a children 's program , a line of books and records , and a series of made-for-TV movies , specials , and miniseries , among other media properties . Biography has won a Peabody Award ( 1962 ) and three Emmy Awards ( 1997 , 1999 , 2002 ) . Biography began as an early 1960s syndicated television series produced by David Wolper and narrated by Mike Wallace . It won a Peabody Award , launched Wallace 's journalism career , and became a standard in biography films , widely shown in classrooms . After a one-year revival in 1979 , the show returned on A & E Networks in 1987 . In 1990 , A & E began producing new episodes , and expanded the show into a multimedia franchise . By the turn of the century , Biography became A & E 's flagship program , winning three Emmy Awards , growing from one night per week to seven , and spawning its own cable television channel , several spin-off shows , a website , made-for-TV movies , mini-series , books , audio books , records , and even a board game . The show 's ratings eventually slipped and its airtime was reduced to one night per week , then limited to broadcasting only on The Biography Channel ( now FYI ) .
Fess Elisha Parker , Jr. ( born F.E . Parker ; August 16 , 1924 - March 18 , 2010 ) , was an American film and television actor best known for his portrayals of Davy Crockett in the Walt Disney 1954-1955 TV miniseries , which aired on ABC , and as Daniel Boone in an NBC television series from 1964 to 1970 . He was also known as a winemaker and resort owner-operator .
Davy Crockett is a five-part serial which aired on ABC from 1954-1955 in one-hour episodes , on the Disneyland series . The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his friend , George Russel . The first three episodes of the serial were edited together as the theatrical film Davy Crockett , King of the Wild Frontier ( 1955 ) and rebroadcast in color in the 1960s , when the Disney program went to NBC . This series and film are known for the catchy theme song , The Ballad of Davy Crockett . It was filmed in color at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center , near Qualla Reservation 's entrance and Janss Conejo Ranch , California . The final two episodes were edited together as the theatrical film Davy Crockett and the River Pirates ( 1956 ) . It was filmed in Cave-In-Rock , Illinois . Walt Disney Home Video released the two theatrical films on DVD as Davy Crocket - Two Movie Set , on September 7 , 2004 .
Daniel Boone is an American action-adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24 , 1964 , to May 7 , 1970 , on NBC for 165 episodes , and was produced by 20th Century Fox Television , Arcola Enterprises , and Fespar Corp. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo , Boone 's Cherokee friend , for the first four seasons of the series . Albert Salmi portrayed Boone 's companion Yadkin in season one only . Country Western singer-actor Jimmy Dean was a featured actor as Josh Clements during the 1968-1970 seasons . Actor and former NFL football player Rosey Grier made regular appearances as Gabe Cooper in the 1969 to 1970 season . The show was broadcast in living color beginning in fall 1965 , the second season , and was shot entirely in California and Kanab , Utah . [ citation needed ] An earlier television series based on Daniel Boone appeared on the Walt Disney Presents anthology in 1960 , with Dewey Martin as Boone .
William McIntyre , who was often credited as Bill McIntyre , ( September 2 , 1929 - March 19 , 2010 ) was an American actor , whose credits included roles in Newhart , Dallas and Murphy Brown . He also had a long career in theater , including Off Broadway and in regional productions . McIntyre was born in Rochester , New York , but raised in Grand Rapids , Michigan . He toured with numerous regional theater companies , including the Guthrie Theater company in Minnesota , Long Wharf Theatre in Connecticut , and the McCarter Theatre of Princeton , New Jersey . He also toured with the national company of The Great White Hope . His Broadway theater credits included The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild , opposite actress Maureen Stapleton . McIntyre appeared in The Fantasticks off Broadway . McIntyre 's last public performance was in the New York City production of You Ca n't Take It with You . He died of natural causes in Englewood , New Jersey , at the age of 80 . He had been staying at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood .
Newhart is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from October 25 , 1982 to May 21 , 1990 with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning over eight seasons . The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife who own and operate an inn in a small , rural Vermont town that is home to many eccentric characters . TV Guide , TV Land , and A & E named the Newhart series finale as one of the most memorable in television history . Newhart was recorded on videotape for Season 1 , with the remaining seasons shot on film . The theme music for Newhart was composed by Henry Mancini .
Dallas is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2 , 1978 , to May 3 , 1991 . The series revolves around a wealthy and feuding Texas family , the Ewings , who own the independent oil company Ewing Oil and the cattle-ranching land of Southfork . The series originally focused on the marriage of Bobby Ewing and Pamela Barnes , whose families were sworn enemies with each other . As the series progressed , Bobby 's older brother , oil tycoon J.R. Ewing , became the show 's breakout character , whose schemes and dirty business became the show 's trademark . When the show ended in May 3 , 1991 , J.R. was the only character to have appeared in every episode . The show was famous for its cliffhangers , including the Who shot J.R. ? mystery . The 1980 episode Who Done It remains the second highest rated prime-time telecast ever . The show also featured a Dream Season , in which the entirety of season 9 was revealed to have been a dream of Pam Ewing . After 14 seasons , the series finale Conundrum aired in 1991 . The show is mostly an ensemble cast , with Larry Hagman as greedy , scheming oil tycoon J.R. Ewing , stage/screen actress Barbara Bel Geddes as family matriarch Miss Ellie and Western movie actor Jim Davis as Ewing patriarch Jock , his last role before his death in 1981 . The series won four Emmy Awards , including a 1980 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series win for Bel Geddes .
Murphy Brown is an American sitcom created by Diane English that premiered on November 14 , 1988 , on CBS . The series stars Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown , a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI , a fictional CBS television newsmagazine , and later for Murphy in the Morning , a cable morning news show . The series originally ran until May 18 , 1998 , after airing a total of 247 episodes over ten seasons . In January 2018 , it was announced that CBS ordered a 13-episode revival of Murphy Brown , which premiered on September 27 , 2018 . CBS canceled the revival series after a single season on May 10 , 2019 .
Margaret Gipsy Moth ( January 30 , 1951- March 21 , 2010 ) was a photojournalist who worked for CNN .
CNN ( Cable News Network ) is an American news-based pay television channel owned by AT & T 's WarnerMedia . CNN was founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner as a 24-hour cable news channel . Upon its launch in 1980 , CNN was the first television channel to provide 24-hour news coverage and was the first all-news television channel in the United States . While the news channel has numerous affiliates , CNN primarily broadcasts from 30 Hudson Yards in New York City , and studios in Washington , D.C. and Los Angeles . Its headquarters at the CNN Center in Atlanta is only used for weekend programming . CNN is sometimes referred to as CNN/U.S . ( or CNN Domestic ) to distinguish the U.S. channel from its international sister network , CNN International . The network is known for its dramatic live coverage of breaking news , some of which has drawn criticism as overly sensationalistic , and for its efforts to be nonpartisan , which have led to accusations of false balance . As of September 2018 , CNN has 90.1 million television households as subscribers ( 97.7% of households with cable ) in the United States . In 2019 , CNN ranked third in viewership among cable news networks , behind rivals Fox News and MSNBC , averaging 972,000 viewers . CNN ranks 14th among all basic cable networks . Globally , CNN programming airs through CNN International , which can be seen by viewers in over 212 countries and territories .
Robert Martin Culp ( August 16 , 1930 - March 24 , 2010 ) was an American actor , screenwriter , voice actor , and director , widely known for his work in television . Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy ( 1965-1968 ) , the espionage television series in which co-star Bill Cosby and he played secret agents . Before this , he starred in the CBS/Four Star Western series Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959 . The 1980s brought him back to television as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero . Later he had a recurring role as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond . Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years .
I Spy is an American secret-agent adventure television series that ran for three seasons on NBC from September 15 , 1965 to April 15 , 1968 and teamed US intelligence agents Kelly Robinson ( Robert Culp ) and Alexander Scotty Scott ( Bill Cosby ) , traveling undercover as international tennis bums . Robinson poses as an amateur with Scott as his trainer , playing against wealthy opponents in return for food and lodging . Their work involved chasing villains , spies , and beautiful women . The creative forces behind the show were writers David Friedkin and Morton Fine and cinematographer Fouad Said . Together they formed Triple F Productions under the aegis of Desilu Productions where the show was produced . Fine and Friedkin ( who previously wrote scripts for radio 's Broadway Is My Beat and Crime Classics under producer-director Elliott Lewis ) were co-producers and head writers , and wrote the scripts for 16 episodes , one of which Friedkin directed . Friedkin also dabbled in acting and appeared in two episodes in the first season . Actor-producer Sheldon Leonard , known for playing gangster roles in the 1940s and 1950s , was the executive producer ( receiving top billing before the title in the series ' opening title sequence ) . He also played a gangster-villain role in two episodes and appeared in a third show as himself in a humorous cameo . In addition , he directed one episode and served as occasional second-unit director throughout the series .
The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama superhero television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC . Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell , it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 18 , 1981 . The series features William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley , Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell , and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson . The lead character 's surname was changed from Hinkley to Hanley for the latter part of the first season , immediately after President Ronald Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley , Jr . The character 's name was reverted to Hinkley after a few months had passed . The series chronicles Ralph 's adventures after a group of aliens gives him a red and black suit that grants him superhuman abilities . Unfortunately for Ralph , who hates wearing the suit , he immediately loses its instruction booklet , and thus has to learn how to use its powers by trial and error , often with comical results .
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American sitcom television series created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13 , 1996 , to May 16 , 2005 , with a total of 210 episodes spanning over nine seasons . It was produced by Where 's Lunch and Worldwide Pants , in association with HBO Independent Productions . The cast members are Ray Romano , Patricia Heaton , Brad Garrett , Doris Roberts , Peter Boyle , Madylin Sweeten , and Monica Horan . Most episodes of the nine season series were filmed in front of a live studio audience , with a few exceptions . The series has been ranked the 49th all-time funniest television comedy by Complex , the 60th best all-time series by TV Guide , the eleventh-best sitcom starring a stand-up comedian by Rolling Stone , and ( alongside South Park ) the 63rd best written television series by the Writers Guild of America . In a Hollywood Reporter poll of all-time television programs surveying 779 actors , 365 producers and 268 directors , Everybody Loves Raymond ranked 96th .
Chester Robert Chet Simmons ( July 11 , 1928 - March 25 , 2010 ) was a television executive . He worked at ABC Sports , NBC Sports and ESPN , and was the first Commissioner of the USFL . From 1957 to 1964 , he helped build ABC Sports into a leader in sports programming and was a key part of the development of Wide World of Sports . He joined NBC Sports in 1964 where he stayed for 15 years becoming the first President in 1977 . At NBC , he pioneered instant replay and coverage of the Olympics and NCAA Men 's Basketball Final Four . In 1979 , he left NBC to join the soon to launch ESPN becoming its second President . At ESPN , he oversaw the launch of the Network , the development of SportsCenter , the first broadcasts of the NFL Draft , coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA Men 's Basketball Final Four and the development of Chris Berman , Bob Ley , George Grande , Greg Gumbel and Dick Vitale . In 1982 , he became the first Commissioner of the United States Football League and led it through three Championships and players including Herschel Walker , Jim Kelly , Reggie White , Steve Young and Anthony Carter . He is the 2005 recipient of the Sports Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award and a member of the University of Alabama College of Communications and Information Sciences Hall of Fame . He was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2010 .
ESPN ( originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network ) is an American basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc. , owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company ( 80% ) and Hearst Communications ( 20% ) . The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen along with his son Scott Rasmussen and Ed Egan . ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol , Connecticut . The network also operates offices in Miami , New York City , Seattle , Charlotte , and Los Angeles . James Pitaro currently serves as chairman of ESPN , a position he has held since March 5 , 2018 , following the resignation of John Skipper on December 18 , 2017 . While ESPN is one of the most successful sports networks , there has been much criticism of ESPN , which includes accusations of biased coverage , conflict of interest , and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts .
The United States Football League ( USFL ) was an American football league that played for three seasons , 1983 through 1985 . The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons . The 1986 season was scheduled to be played in the autumn/winter , directly competing against the long-established National Football League ( NFL ) . However , the USFL ceased operations before that season was scheduled to begin . The ideas behind the USFL were conceived in 1965 by New Orleans businessman David Dixon , who saw a market for a professional football league that would play in the summer , when the National Football League and college football were in their off-season . Dixon had been a key player in the construction of the Louisiana Superdome and the expansion of the NFL into New Orleans in 1967 . He developed The Dixon Plan - a blueprint for the USFL based upon securing NFL-caliber stadiums in top TV markets , securing a national TV broadcast contract , and controlling spending - and found investors willing to buy in . Though the original franchise owners and founders of the USFL had promised to abide by the general guidelines set out by Dixon 's plan , problems arose before the teams took the field , with some franchises facing financial problems and instability from the beginning . Due to pressure from the NFL , some franchises had difficulty securing leases in stadiums that were also used by NFL teams , forcing them to scramble to find alternate venues in their chosen city or hurriedly move to a new market . The USFL had no hard salary cap , and because of this , some teams quickly escalated player payrolls to unsustainable levels despite pledges to keep costs under control . While a handful of USFL franchises abided by the Dixon Plan and were relatively stable , others suffered repeated financial crises , and there were many franchise relocations , mergers , and ownership changes during the league 's short existence ; however , none of its teams actually folded during any given season . These problems were worsened as some owners began engaging in bidding wars for star players against NFL teams and each other , forcing other owners to do the same or face a competitive disadvantage .
David Eugene Mills ( November 20 , 1961 - March 30 , 2010 ) was an American journalist , writer and producer of television programs . He was an executive producer and writer of the HBO miniseries The Corner , for which he won two Emmy Awards , and the creator , executive producer , and writer of the NBC miniseries Kingpin .
Screenwriting , also called scriptwriting , is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films , television productions or video games . It is often a freelance profession . Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story , developing the narrative , writing the script , screenplay , dialogues and delivering it , in the required format , to development executives . Screenwriters therefore have great influence over the creative direction and emotional impact of the screenplay and , arguably , of the finished film . Screenwriters either pitch original ideas to producers , in the hope that they will be optioned or sold ; or are commissioned by a producer to create a screenplay from a concept , true story , existing screen work or literary work , such as a novel , poem , play , comic book , or short story .
NYPD Blue is an American police procedural drama television series set in New York City , exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan . Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble cast . The show was created by Steven Bochco and David Milch , and was inspired by Milch 's relationship with Bill Clark , a former member of the New York City Police Department who eventually became one of the show 's producers . The series was originally broadcast on the ABC network , debuted on September 21 , 1993‚ and aired its final episode on March 1 , 2005 . It was ABC 's longest-running primetime one-hour drama series until Grey 's Anatomy surpassed it in 2016 . NYPD Blue was met with critical acclaim , praised for its grittiness and realistic portrayal of the cast 's personal and professional lives , though the show garnered controversy for its depiction of nudity and alcoholism . In 1997 , True Confessions ( Season 1 , Episode 4 ) , written by Art Monterastelli and directed by Charles Haid , was ranked # 36 on TV Guide 's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time . In 2009 , Hearts and Souls ( Season 6 , Episode 5 ) , Jimmy Smits ' final episode as a main cast member , # 30 on TV Guide 's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time .
The Corner is a 2000 HBO drama television miniseries based on the nonfiction book The Corner : A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood ( 1997 ) by David Simon and Ed Burns , and adapted for television by Simon and David Mills . It premiered on HBO in the United States on April 16 , 2000 and concluded its six-part run on May 21 , 2000 . The series was released on DVD on July 22 , 2003 . It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 2000 . The Corner chronicles the life of a family living in poverty amid the open-air drug markets of West Baltimore . The corner is the junction of West Fayette Street and North Monroe Street ( U.S. Route 1 ) ( 39°17′22″N 76°38′49″W / 39.289372°N 76.646848°W / 39.289372 ; -76.646848 ) .
Kingpin is an American crime drama television series which debuted on the NBC network in the U.S. and CTV in Canada on February 2 , 2003 and lasted 6 episodes . NBC 's answer to The Sopranos and also influenced by The Godfather , Macbeth and Traffik , the story was about a Mexican drug trafficker named Miguel Cadena ( Yancey Arias ) and his family life . It was to be followed by a television series , but low ratings and the network 's discomfort with airing a show with a drug trafficker protagonist canceled those plans . Commercials for the mini-series on NBC featured the song Más by the Mexican band Kinky , which also featured in the series .
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist and medical doctor Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19 , 1994 , to April 2 , 2009 , with a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons . It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Television , in association with Warner Bros. Television . ER follows the inner life of the emergency room ( ER ) of fictional County General Hospital in Chicago , Illinois , and various critical issues faced by the room 's physicians and staff . The show is the second longest-running primetime medical drama in American television history behind Grey 's Anatomy , and the 5th longest medical drama across the globe ( behind BBC 's Casualty and Holby City , and Poland 's Na dobre i na złe ) . It won 23 Primetime Emmy Awards , including the 1996 Outstanding Drama Series award , and received 124 Emmy nominations . ER won 116 awards in total , including the Peabody Award , while the cast earned four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series . As of 2014 , ER has grossed over $ 3 billion in television revenue .
The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon . The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States . The Wire premiered on June 2 , 2002 and ended on March 9 , 2008 , comprising 60 episodes over five seasons . Set and produced in Baltimore , Maryland , The Wire introduces a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season , while retaining characters and advancing storylines from previous seasons . The five subjects are , in chronological order : the illegal drug trade , the seaport system , the city government and bureaucracy , education and schools , and the print news medium . The large cast consists mainly of actors who are little known for their other roles , as well as numerous real-life Baltimore and Maryland figures in guest and recurring roles . Simon has said that despite its framing as a crime drama , the show is really about the American city , and about how we live together . It 's about how institutions have an effect on individuals . Whether one is a cop , a longshoreman , a drug dealer , a politician , a judge or a lawyer , all are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution to which they are committed . The Wire is lauded for its literary themes , its uncommonly accurate exploration of society and politics , and its realistic portrayal of urban life . Although during its original run the series received only average ratings and never won any major television awards , it is now widely regarded to be one of the greatest television shows of all time .