Lessons from Spelling.

I actually decided to wait a week before I decided to try and even write about the death of the one and only Aaron Spelling. Love or hate his shows Mr. Spelling really did seem to know what we wanted before we did ourselves with shows about feminist cops, island fantasies and a certain little apartment complex that would never seem to die.

It’s easy to write off all his shows as fluff--filled with unrealistic characters living lives that always seemed much more glamorous than ours--but Mr. Spelling also did introduce social issues—if only in a seeming benign way. Whether it was creating some of the first major gay characters (Steven Carrington ‘Dynasty’, Matt ‘Melrose Place’) of television, realizing the importance of the youth audience (‘Mod Squad’ as well as ‘BH 90210’) or the inclusion of minorities (Linc ‘Mod Squad’, Dominque “Dynasty’, ‘Isaac ‘Love Boat’, Huggy Bear ‘Starsky and Hutch’) Mr. Spelling was responsible for showcasing people that America hadn’t yet welcomed into their daily viewing habits.

That being said, the most important thing about Mr. Spelling was that he loved television and was the ultimate entertainer. I was fortunate to have met him when he came to the set of my internship ‘Sunset Beach’ to film a cameo with one of our shows stars. He was a quiet, gracious and funny man who seemed to always be watching and studying what was going on around him. Not only could he act and improve with the best of them—he cared about all aspects of his scene and went so far as to be a cut-up to make us all comfortable while still aware of the most tiny details of the show. It’s easy to see that his eye for the full picture was what enabled him to be a great producer and story teller.

That being said—it’s a sad event not only for the industry as well as his family—it’s a loss I feel personally. It’s like Edie said when she e-mailed me about his death; it’s like a part of my childhood as ended with Mr. Spelling’s death. So many of his shows were apart of my young life—‘Charlie’s Angels’, ‘TJ Hooker’, ‘7th Heaven’ and of course—‘Melrose’s Place’—each teaching me about the world in ways that may not have been realistic but still important.

And in honor of that—I have complied a list of life lessons from the one and only Mr. Spelling.

1) That any cruise I might take will result in either a reconnection with a lost loved one or an affirmation of commitment within my troubled marriage. (‘Love Boat’)
2) Being a juvenile delinquent not only doesn’t prevent me from later joining the police force but that my hip streetwise ways may be the key to solving many a crime. (‘The Mod Squad’)
3) That if Gabrielle Cateris can pull off being a high school student in her 30’s then I should not feel guilty about passing for a college sophomore. (Beverly Hills 90210)
4) If my husband is a wealthy millionaire and I’m a world renowned supermodel that it makes perfect sense that we would solve exotic crimes while indulging in campaign and furs. (‘Hart to Hart’)
5) I not only know who Kelly, Jill, Sabrina, Kris, Tiffany, and Julie are but I can tell you who played them as well as debate how Tania Roberts was screwed by the Writers’ Strike of the early 80’s. (‘Charlie’s Angels.)
6) As a beat cop you don’t need to be able to run fast or catch the perp on a regular basis as young as your hotter, younger partner can do it for you. (‘TJ Hooker’)
7) Anyone can be forgiven if they are right for the role. (Shannen Doherty, ‘Charmed’)
8) Hot tubs are dangerous for bulimics and that I am lucky I survived my many post binge and purge Jacuzzi soaks. (‘Models Inc.)
9) Not only do the rich not lead perfect lives but they spend their days dodging ex wives, have lily pond catfights pre-charity dinners and can come out from burn ravaged bodies to be even HOTTER. (‘Dynasty’)
10) When you have an extramarital affair and your lover dies then comes back all sweetness and light then you better check that bitch ain’t wearing a wig covering her hideous scar. Or making bombs while taking to her imaginary friend who looks like a serial killer and pushing her to commit mass murder! (‘Melrose Place’)

All joking aside—of all the things I’ll miss about Mr. Spelling was his innate joy at creating frothy and fun television of all kinds. Whether dealing with the undead (‘Kinder: The Embraced’), Southern belles (‘Savannah’), midgets (‘Fantasy Island’) or dysfunctional relatives (‘Family’) he always kept his eye on what we needed—entertainment.