Bill Holbrook

Bill Holbrook
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Role:	First Assistant Director
BSG Universe:	Original Series
Date of Birth:	March 27, 1924
Date of Death:	February 27, 1989
Age at Death:	64
Nationality:	USA
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IMDb profile

William Holbrook (March 27, 1924 – February 27, 1989), credited as Bill Holbrook, was an American first assistant director and production manager who worked extensively in television production from the 1950s through the 1980s. He served as first assistant director for the entirety of the original Battlestar Galactica series during its 1978-1979 run on ABC.

Career

Born in Nebraska in 1924, Holbrook began his entertainment career in television during the medium's golden age. He started as a stage manager in the 1950s, working on productions such as Ford Star Jubilee in 1956, though he went uncredited in this early work.

Stage Manager Work

Throughout the 1960s, Holbrook established himself as a reliable stage manager on numerous television productions. His credits from this period include The Red Skelton Hour (1964-1967), Brigadoon (1966), Carol + 2 (1966), Away We Go (1967), and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-1968). He also worked on dramatic anthology series including CBS Playhouse (1968) and the religious drama series Insight (1968).

Assistant Director Career

By the 1970s, Holbrook had transitioned to assistant director work, a role that would define the remainder of his career. He worked on several prominent television series of the era, including Kojak (1973-1974), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and The Six Million Dollar Man (1976). His feature film work during this period included serving as second assistant director on the theatrical release Newman's Law (1974).

Holbrook also worked on various crime and detective series including McCloud (1976-1977), McMillan & Wife (1977), and Baretta (1977). He served as second assistant director on the television disaster movie Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976) and worked on location as second assistant director for Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws (1978).

Battlestar Galactica

Holbrook's most significant genre work came when he was hired as first assistant director for the entire run of the original Battlestar Galactica television series during the 1978-1979 season. He was credited as "Bill Holbrook" throughout the series' 21-episode run. His work encompassed all episodes of the series, including the two-part pilot "Saga of a Star World," notable episodes such as "Lost Planet of the Gods," "The Lost Warrior," and "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero," as well as the series' two-part finale "The Hand of God."

Later Work

Following Battlestar Galactica, Holbrook continued his work as a first assistant director on the mystery series Hart to Hart (1979) and the family drama Eight Is Enough (1980-1981). He also served as assistant director on the action series Code Red (1981-1982). His final credited work was as second assistant director on the television film The Big Bet in 1987, two years before his death.

Death

William Holbrook died on February 27, 1989, in California at the age of 64. His death came just weeks before what would have been his 65th birthday. He left behind a legacy of three decades of professional work in television production, having contributed to some of the most memorable series of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

References