Sunday, June 25, 2006

THE HAT SQUAD: AARON SPELLING (PART TWO)

Aaron Spelling's huge contributions to the expanse of Toobworld's geography was strengthened by the interconnections between several of his series via crossovers.

'Burke's Law' & 'Honey West'
'The Love Boat'/'Charlie's Angels'/'Fantasy Island'
'Beverly Hills 90210' & 'Melrose Place'
'Melrose Place' & 'Models, Inc.'

'Dynasty' & 'The Colbys'

And then there are the many TV movie sequels to some of his past hits, like 'T.J. Hooker' and 'Hart To Hart'.

TV SERIES
"Charmed" (executive producer) (1998-)
"Clubhouse" (2004) TV Series (executive producer)
"Summerland" (executive producer)
"10-8: Officers on Duty" (2003) TV Series (executive producer)
"Queens Supreme" (2003) TV Series (executive producer)
"Deep Cover" (2002) TV Series (executive producer)
"All Souls" (2001) TV Series (executive producer)
"Titans" (2000) TV Series (executive producer)
"Rescue 77" (1999) TV Series (executive producer)

"Safe Harbor" (1999) TV Series (executive producer)
"Buddy Faro" (1998) TV Series (executive producer)
"Pacific Palisades" (1997) TV Series (executive producer)
"Sunset Beach" (1997) TV Series (producer)
"Malibu Shores" (1996) TV Series (executive producer) (1996)
"7th Heaven" (1996) TV Series (executive producer)
"Kindred: The Embraced" (1996) TV Series (executive producer)
"Savannah" (1996) TV Series (executive producer)
"University Hospital" (1995) TV Series (producer)

"Robin's Hoods" (1994) TV Series (producer)
"Burke's Law" (1994) TV Series (producer)
"The Round Table" (1992) TV Series (executive producer)
"The Heights" (1992) TV Series (producer)
"2000 Malibu Road" (1992) TV Series (executive producer)
"Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990) TV Series (executive producer)
"Nightingales" (1989) TV Series (producer)
"Life with Lucy" (1986) TV Series (executive producer)
"Finder of Lost Loves" (1984) TV Series (producer)
"Glitter" (1984) TV Series (producer)
"Hotel" (1983) TV Series (executive producer)
"At Ease" (1983) TV Series (producer)
"T.J. Hooker" (1982) TV Series (executive producer)
"Strike Force" (1981) TV Series (producer)
"Dynasty" (1981) TV Series (executive producer) (producer)
"B.A.D. Cats" (1980) TV Series (executive producer)
"Hart to Hart" (1979) TV Series (executive producer)
"Friends" (1979) TV Series (executive producer)
"The San Pedro Beach Bums"
"Vega$"
"Fantasy Island" (1978) TV Series (executive producer)
"The Love Boat" (1977) TV Series (executive producer)
"Charlie's Angels" (executive producer)
"Family" (1976) TV Series (executive producer)
"The Rookies" (executive producer)
"Starsky and Hutch" (executive producer)
"S.W.A.T." (1975) TV Series (executive producer)
"Firehouse" (1974) TV Series (executive producer)
"Chopper One" (1974) TV Series (executive producer)
"The Most Deadly Game" (1970) TV Series (executive producer)
"The Young Rebels" (1970) TV Series (executive producer)
"The New People" (1969) TV Series (producer)
"The Mod Squad" (1968) TV Series (producer)
"Off to See the Wizard"
"The Guns of Will Sonnett" (1967) TV Series (producer)
"Daniel Boone" (1964) TV Series (executive producer)
"Burke's Law" (1963) TV Series (producer)
"The Dick Powell Show" (producer)
"Johnny Ringo" (1959) TV Series (producer)
"Zane Grey Theater" (1956) TV Series (producer)

TV SPINOFFS
"The Love Boat: The Next Wave" (1998) TV Series (executive producer)

"Models, Inc." (1994) TV Series (executive producer)
"Melrose Place" (1992) TV Series (executive producer)
"The Colbys" (1985) TV Series (executive producer)
"Honey West" (executive producer)

TV MINI-SERIES
"Kingpin" (2003) (mini) TV Series (executive producer)
"Crossings" (1986) (mini) TV Series (executive producer)
"Hollywood Wives" (1985) (mini) TV Series (executive producer)
"The French Atlantic Affair" (1979) (mini) TV Series (executive producer)

TV SEQUELS & PREQUELS
Titans (2000) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart: Till Death Do Us Hart (1996) (TV) (executive producer) (uncredited)
Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season (1996) (TV) (executive producer) (uncredited)
Hart to Hart: Two Harts in Three-Quarters Time (1995) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart: Secrets of the Hart (1995) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die (1994) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart (1994) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is (1994) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart: Hart to Hart Returns (1993) (TV) (executive producer)
Back to the Streets of San Francisco (1992) (TV) (executive producer)
The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage (1990) (TV) (executive producer)
T.J. Hooker: Blood Sport (1986) (TV) (executive producer)
Glitter (1984) (TV) (executive producer)
T.J. Hooker (1982) (TV) (executive producer)
Hart to Hart (1979) (TV) (executive producer)
Return of the Mod Squad (1979) (TV) (executive producer)
Return to Fantasy Island (1978) (TV) (executive producer)
The San Pedro Bums (1977) (TV) (executive producer)
The Love Boat II (1977) (TV) (executive producer)
Fantasy Island (1977) (TV) (producer)
The Rookies (1972) (TV) (producer)

TV RELATED FILMS
Charlie's Angels (2000) (executive producer)
The Mod Squad (1999) (executive producer)

"Charlie's Angels" (and its sequel, "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle") is one of those rare movies that are actually a part of the TV Universe. Charlie Townsend was once again played by the voice of John Forsythe, but everything else had changed.

It was the movie's conceit that since the demise of the TV series, several other young women had come along to work for the Townsend Detective Agency. (And besides Demi Moore as Madison Lee, who eventually turned villainous, there were also the Angels of the unsold pilot 'Angels '88'.)

And as for the recasting of Bosley, there is a splainin for that. Bill Murray and Bernie Mac were half-brothers and their father was the original Bosley, as played by David Doyle.

As for "The Mod Squad", that is a separate entity that belongs in the Cineverse and has no connection to Toobworld. It is a remake and at best can be looked upon as the mirror counterpart to the original TV series.... if the mirror crack'd: different actors, different time period.

To these theatrical releases one could also add "SWAT", although I don't think Spelling was involved in its production. In fact, because the characters mockingly "sing" the show's theme song, they recognize it as a TV show about their profession. And so the movie can't be seen as either a continuation of the TV show nor a remake.

BCnU.....
Tele-Toby

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget that Melrose Place also spun off Models, Inc., also exec. produced by Spelling, and there were two versions of Burke's Law. Was Vega$ not by Spelling? I know it had connections with Charlie's Angels. I was surprised to find that the new Fantasy Island didn't have Spelling's name attached (assuming IMDB is correct with that one).

But I didn't know 7th Heaven was supposed to link to anything. What was the connection with Safe Harbor?

Hugh

Toby O'B said...

Apparently, after all these years, I mis-remembered what the actual connection was. Had I taken three more minutes for corroborative research, I'd have found this:

"Harbor" was specifically crafted as a companion piece to "Heaven" by Brenda Hamption, who executive produces both shows.

As such, my feeble excuse of a mind took that to mean that 'Safe Harbor' would then be a spin-off as well.

Thanks, Hugh. As always you're a boon to the Toob!

I'll fix that up; probably replace it with that info about 'Models, Inc.'

Toby O'B said...

Oh, as for 'Burke's Law', I did consider moving the second version to the "TV Sequels & Prequels" category, but I saw that more of a category for pilot movies and reunion movies. And it was such a fave of mine (the earlier version), that I just wanted to think of the new series as a continuation; in much the same way as is the case with 'Columbo'.

Anonymous said...

Ah, gotcha. I didn't mind the redo of Burke's Law, although it didn't quite fulfill its potential.

So was Vega$ a Spelling show, or did it just coincide with Angels?

Hugh

Toby O'B said...

I have to figure 'Vega$' was a Spelling show, as it's listed as such in the IMDb. Curiously however, without the additional info the other shows have listed.

But I think that's why Spelling turned to Urich when it came to casting the 'Love Boat' sequel. He seems to show loyalty/favoritism to those he's worked with in the past.

(Probably why Shannon Doherty got a second chance with 'Charmed'... for what it was worth in the end.)