When TV’s "The Fugitive" came to an end and 72% of the country tuned in to watch the finale, the script had been written by George Eckstein, the producer-writer who died Saturday at age 81, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Eckstein also had the distinction of being one of the first producers in Hollywood to hire Steven Spielberg, which he did in 1971 for the ABC made-for-television movie "Duel."

— Allison J. Waldman