Everyone who has ever turned on their television in America is sure to be familiar with the name Aaron Spelling, after all, Spelling was affiliated with more than 225 televisions shows during his forty-six years in the entertainment business. During the successful years of his career, Spelling owned one of the largest estates in California, often referred to as just “The Manor,” but life for Spelling was not always so glorious.

Spelling grew up in a small town, Texas neighborhood. The fact that he was Jewish resulted in an abundance of childhood cruelty, that psychologically damaged Spelling so much that he actually didn’t walk for a year. It was during that year that he submerged himself in literature, and his love for writing began.

During World War II, Spelling put his love for journalism to good use as a war correspondent. During this time, he discovered a divine love for writing plays, but he enjoyed very little success, and supplemented his income as an actor in off-Broadway plays.

In the 1950s, Spelling finally found an outlet for his talent as a writing contributor to The Lloyd Bridges Show. In the 1960s, he produces a number of small-time productions, but when The Mod Squad took off, so did Spelling’s career. Finally earning some of the well-deserved respect he craved, Spelling went on to create some of the highest-rated, most well-known television series of all time.

In the 1970s, he produced popular shows like The Rookies, S.W.A.T., Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat and Charlie’s Angels. Popular shows he produced during the 1980s included T.J. Hooker, Hart to Hart, Hotel and Dynasty. The 1990s brought on series like Models, Inc., 7th Heaven, Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210, which starred Spelling’s oldest daughter, Tori Spelling as well-known character, Donna Martin.

The Guinness Book of World Records named Spelling the most prolific television producer in the world in 1999, having produced just under 3900 hours of television during his career at that point. Having such an impact on the growth and development of popular television definitely makes Spelling a visionary, as one has to wonder what television might have been like without series like The Love Boat, Starsky and Hutch or Beverly Hills 90210 to entertain us.

In 2006, Spelling suffered from a stroke, and passed away just five days after, on June 23. He was 83-years-old at the time of his death, and you can be certain that the world of television will never be the same now that he’s gone.