A tribute to Aaron Spelling, dead at 83

by Jennifer Squires Biller

The world of television has lost a legend. Producer Aaron Spelling died Friday, after suffering a stroke. He passed away at his home at age 83.

Spelling is partly to blame for my love of TV. From The Love Boat, to Family, to Charlie’s Angels, I grew up watching his brand of television in the ‘70s, which I later labeled as “Spelling-vision.” I spent many afternoons playing Charlie’s Angels with my cousins and arguing over who got to be Jill or Kelly.

Spelling gave us memorable characters on shows such as Dynasty, Starsky & Hutch, Hart to Hart, Vega$, TJ Hooker, Fantasy Island and 7th Heaven. He gave us Amanda Woodward, miniskirts and “Mondays are a Bitch” on Melrose Place. He gave us Brandon, Dylan, Kelly and Brenda on Beverly Hills, 90210 and the Halliwell sisters on Charmed. Quite simply, he made television sexy and fun in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, while giving us outrageous plots, too. (Kimberly’s wig reveal on Melrose Place still haunts me to this day.)

Spelling produced a record 3,000 episodes of TV and more than 100 made-for-TV movies, including The Boy in the Bubble, starring John Travolta. Spelling began his lucky streak of hit shows at ABC, which the press later nicknamed ‘Aaron’s Broadcasting Company.’

Thank you Mr. Spelling for your vision and your legacy. You will be missed.

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