Jamie Kellner, an especially well-respected TV govt who helped launch Fox and The WB broadcast networks, has died on the age of 77.
At Fox, Kellner developed The Simpsons, Married…With Youngsters, In Residing Shade, Beverly Hills 90210 and Cops. Whereas at The WB, he developed Dawson’s Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Ladies, and seventh Heaven, which he created with Aaron Spelling and Brenda Hampton.
Whereas on the Frog Community, Kellner helped launch the careers of Greg Berlanti, JJ Abrams, Kevin Williamson, and Joss Whedon, and comedians like Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey, and The Wayans Bros.
Berlanti paid tribute to the late govt, saying, “I don’t assume there’s one other particular person within the historical past of TV that may say they helped begin two new main broadcast networks (Fox and The WB). Jamie Kellner was a titan and a visionary in our business and but he will likely be remembered by anybody fortunate sufficient to work for him as an govt or as a showrunner as a heat, humorous, charismatic, artistic and type mentor, buddy, husband and Dad. He devoted his life in TV to fostering and betting on generations of expertise each in entrance of and behind the digicam. I do know I communicate for thus many others once I say my life was modified by the Camelot-esque dwelling he created for all of us who labored at The WB. He will likely be significantly missed.”
Kellner additionally predicted the TV future that we now occupy. In 2002, he was memorably requested to touch upon the event of DVRs and the way it will give TV viewers the flexibility to fast-forward by way of commercials. On the time, one in 5 individuals who personal a DVR like TiVo or ReplayTV mentioned they by no means watched commercials.
”The free tv that we’ve all loved for thus a few years is predicated on us watching these commercials,” mentioned Kellner, who was the CEO of Turner Broadcasting on the time. ”There’s no Santa Claus. When you don’t watch the commercials, somebody’s going to should pay for tv and it’s going to be you.”
The previous govt is credited with reshaping and modernizing CNN to compete in opposition to upstarts Fox and MSNBC. He additionally oversaw TNT, TBS, TCM, Cartoon Community, TNT Sports activities, the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, and NHL Thrashers.
Earlier than changing into president of Fox at its launch, Kellner was at Orion, the place he labored alongside Arthur Krim and conceived a partnership with Lorne Michaels to purchase the rights to the unique seasons of Saturday Evening Stay. The concept was to recut the 90-minute reveals of the NBC sketch present into 30-minute episodes for syndication. Following the concept’s success, Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch employed Kellner because the community’s first president.
“The TV business misplaced a traditionally important entrepreneur and govt,” mentioned Sandy Grushow, who labored for Kellner at Fox as an EVP and finally the President of Leisure. “That he occurred to have been a sweetheart of a man and shut buddy and former Fox colleague makes the loss much more profound. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that he had the braveness and, because it seems, foresight to take his chips off the desk within the prime of his profession then go pack 10 lifetimes of journey into one, along with his stunning spouse Julie by his facet. The one different silver lining is that a couple of weeks again, I obtained to inform him how a lot I revered that call. We might all be taught a factor or two from Jamie Kellner’s outstanding life and the audacious alternative(s) he made. That’s the reward he left behind.”
Kellner retired on the age of 57 after main Turner. He turned down affords to return to work and left the leisure business to pursue his passions, similar to crusing, taking part in golf, and launching a vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley referred to as Cent’Anni.
Kellner is survived by his spouse of 38 years, Julie, daughter Melissa, son Christopher, and three grandchildren, Jake, Scarlett, and Oliver.
