WhatsNew2Day – Latest News And Breaking Headlines
The creator of Dallas, Knots Landing and Paradise has died at the age of 84 after a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
David Jacobs died Sunday afternoon in Burbank, Calif., at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, his son revealed.
While the showrunner and writer suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for several years, his son Aaron said a series of infections were behind his death.
Aaron told Deadline, “He had Alzheimer’s disease for many years and recently had recurring infections which led to his death.”
He added that David had celebrated his 84th birthday just eight days before his death.
David Jacobs (pictured) died Sunday afternoon in Burbank, California, his family announced.
Dallas recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, having first aired in 1978.
David Jacobs died Sunday afternoon following a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Jacobs is credited with forever changing American television, as his shows were a staple in nearly every American home during the 1980s.
Dallas, which aired for 14 seasons and 357 episodes, was the longest-running television show at the time.
The show, which followed the exploits of a wealthy and constantly conflicted oil-owning family, had celebrated its 45th anniversary this year.
He bragged that he wrote the first five episodes of Dallas, one of the most-watched television shows of its time, without ever visiting the city.
“I was like, ‘Well, I’m just going to write it down. I don’t have time to run away, so I’m just going to write it in a very formulaic way – with stereotypes – and then I’ll go visit it and pull it off. And then I went to Dallas and realized I had to go that route.”
“There is something about Dallas and its people that I can only describe as extravagant, but not ostentatious,” he added.
Knots Landing, a Dallas spin-off he also helmed, lasted nearly as long at 344 episodes.
He was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Homefront in 1992 and 1993.
Dallas was one of the longest running shows in American television history, airing for 14 seasons with 357 episodes.
He was also executive producer of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Homefront, for which he was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
David was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1939 to his father Melvin, whom he described as a bookmaker, billiards champion, crooner and songwriter, and his mother Ruther, the woman who “took him away from all that “.
His father held several jobs that made him unhappy, which seemed to leave a lasting impression.
He reportedly said, “He went to work every day for something he hated. At one point I said, “I would never do that. I would never go to work hating what I do.”
He became a writer after attending Hunter College in New York, where he wrote and edited numerous magazines and books.
He was then asked to rewrite for the CBS show Delvecchio, before having the opportunity to rewrite another CBS show called The Blue Knight.
David is survived by his children, Aaron and Molly; his wife Diana; Albyn Hall, his daughter from his previous marriage to Lynne Oliansky; and her two grandchildren Riley and Georgia.
More soon.