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Creator of Pioneering 1970s Cop Show Dead at 81

Oct 25, 2011  •  Post A Comment

A veteran TV writer and director who created a pioneering 1970s police drama has died, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Robert Collins, who created NBC’s “Police Woman,” was 81.

"Police Woman," a star vehicle for Angie Dickinson, aired for four seasons from 1974-1978, and was one of the first successful hourlong TV dramas to feature a female lead.

Collins wrote and directed for a number of TV shows, including "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "The Mod Squad" and the anthology series "Police Story," which spun off "Police Woman," the story notes.

His “Police Story” episode called "The Gamble" introduced the character played by Dickinson in "Police Woman," the piece says.

Dickinson’s character, Sgt. Pepper Anderson, went undercover to solve cases in Los Angeles and inspired women across the U.S. to join police ranks, the article notes.

 

One Comment

  1. Nick at Night is taking a risk putting someone with such strident right-wing beliefs as the face of their network.
    Wonder if Baio will be toning down his twitter feed?

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