Prolific television producer Aaron Spelling, whose shows such as "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Dynasty" helped shape U.S. prime-time television, died on Friday, days after suffering a stroke, his publicist said. He was 83.
Spokesman Kevin Sasaki said Spelling died at his home in Los Angeles about 6:25 p.m. local time. He had been hospitalized briefly after a stroke over the weekend.
Among Spelling's other television shows were "Fantasy Island," "Starsky and Hutch," "Hart to Hart, "Charlie's Angels," and "Love Boat." He is survived by his wife, Candy, daughter Tori Spelling, who starred on 'Beverly Hills 90210," and son Randy Spelling, also an actor.
Spelling, a decorated war veteran, lifted himself out of poverty to become one of the richest and most powerful men in Hollywood. The Texas native was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most prolific producer.
For better or worse, few people did more to influence TV viewers' habits -- and perhaps to shape the international view of American culture -- than Spelling. Although his shows were created by other people, Spelling was a hands-on producer who helped craft storylines and character development.
Many of Spelling's shows offered a glimpse of fabulously wealthy and photogenic people whose lives were often miserable, a reminder that the grass is not always greener on the other side. The same could be said about his own life. Shy and reclusive, he rarely left his 123-room mansion in the exclusive Los Angeles suburb of Holmby Hills.
Never shy about his shows' cultural import, he once dubbed them "mind candy." But he also helped bring some significant works to the small screen, among them the AIDS-themed TV movie "And the Band Played On" and the dramatic series "Family."
