Joe Beaudoin Jr.: Created page with "{{Crew Data | image= | role= First Assistant Director | series= TOS | born_month= 03 | born_day= 27 | born_year= 1924 | death_month= 02 | death_day= 27 | death_year= 1989 | nationality= US | imdb= 0390052 | sortkey= Holbrook, William }} '''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 1..."

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Created page with "{{Crew Data | image= | role= First Assistant Director | series= TOS | born_month= 03 | born_day= 27 | born_year= 1924 | death_month= 02 | death_day= 27 | death_year= 1989 | nationality= US | imdb= 0390052 | sortkey= Holbrook, William }} '''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 1..."

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{{Crew Data
| image=
| role= First Assistant Director
| series= TOS
| born_month= 03
| born_day= 27
| born_year= 1924
| death_month= 02
| death_day= 27
| death_year= 1989
| nationality= US
| imdb= 0390052
| sortkey= Holbrook, William
}}

'''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.<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_biography">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390052/|title=William Holbrook|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 8, 2025}}</ref> He served as first assistant director for the entirety of the [[Original Series|original]] ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' series during its 1978-1979 run on [[Wikipedia:American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390052/|title=William Holbrook - Filmography|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 8, 2025}}</ref>

== Career ==

Born in Nebraska in 1924, Holbrook began his entertainment career in television during the medium's golden age.<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_biography" /> He started as a stage manager in the 1950s, working on productions such as ''[[Wikipedia:Ford Star Jubilee|Ford Star Jubilee]]'' in 1956, though he went uncredited in this early work.<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" />

=== Stage Manager Work ===

Throughout the 1960s, Holbrook established himself as a reliable stage manager on numerous television productions. His credits from this period include ''[[Wikipedia:The Red Skelton Hour|The Red Skelton Hour]]'' (1964-1967), ''[[Wikipedia:Brigadoon (1966 film)|Brigadoon]]'' (1966), ''[[Wikipedia:Carol + 2|Carol + 2]]'' (1966), ''[[Wikipedia:Away We Go (TV series)|Away We Go]]'' (1967), and ''[[Wikipedia:The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour|The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour]]'' (1967-1968).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" /> He also worked on dramatic anthology series including ''[[Wikipedia:CBS Playhouse|CBS Playhouse]]'' (1968) and the religious drama series ''[[Wikipedia:Insight (TV series)|Insight]]'' (1968).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" />

=== 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 ''[[Wikipedia:Kojak|Kojak]]'' (1973-1974), ''[[Wikipedia:Kolchak: The Night Stalker|Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]'' (1974-1975), and ''[[Wikipedia:The Six Million Dollar Man|The Six Million Dollar Man]]'' (1976).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" /> His feature film work during this period included serving as second assistant director on the theatrical release ''[[Wikipedia:Newman's Law|Newman's Law]]'' (1974).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" />

Holbrook also worked on various crime and detective series including ''[[Wikipedia:McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]'' (1976-1977), ''[[Wikipedia:McMillan & Wife|McMillan & Wife]]'' (1977), and ''[[Wikipedia:Baretta|Baretta]]'' (1977).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" /> He served as second assistant director on the television disaster movie ''[[Wikipedia:Smash-Up on Interstate 5|Smash-Up on Interstate 5]]'' (1976) and worked on location as second assistant director for ''[[Wikipedia:Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws|Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws]]'' (1978).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" />

=== ''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.<ref group="external" name="imdb_bsg_holbrook_credits">{{cite web|url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0076984/fullcredits/|title=Battlestar Galactica (TV Series 1978-1979) - Full cast & crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 8, 2025}}</ref> He was credited as "Bill Holbrook" throughout the series' 21-episode run.<ref group="external" name="imdb_bsg_holbrook_credits" /> 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]]."<ref group="external" name="imdb_lost_planet_credits">{{cite web|url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0519746/fullcredits/|title=Battlestar Galactica: Lost Planet of the Gods (TV Episode 1978) - Full cast & crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 8, 2025}}</ref><ref group="external" name="imdb_lost_warrior_credits">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0519755/fullcredits/|title=Battlestar Galactica: The Lost Warrior (TV Episode 1978) - Full cast & crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 8, 2025}}</ref><ref group="external" name="imdb_gun_ice_planet_credits">{{cite web|url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0519744/fullcredits/cast|title=Battlestar Galactica: The Gun on Ice Planet Zero (TV Episode 1978) - Full cast & crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 8, 2025}}</ref>

=== Later Work ===

Following ''Battlestar Galactica'', Holbrook continued his work as a first assistant director on the mystery series ''[[Wikipedia:Hart to Hart|Hart to Hart]]'' (1979) and the family drama ''[[Wikipedia:Eight Is Enough|Eight Is Enough]]'' (1980-1981).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" /> He also served as assistant director on the action series ''[[Wikipedia:Code Red (TV series)|Code Red]]'' (1981-1982).<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" /> His final credited work was as second assistant director on the television film ''[[Wikipedia:The Big Bet (1987 film)|The Big Bet]]'' in 1987, two years before his death.<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_filmography" />

== Death ==

William Holbrook died on February 27, 1989, in California at the age of 64.<ref group="external" name="imdb_holbrook_biography" /> 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 ==

=== External Sources ===
{{reflist|group=external}}

Bill Holbrook - Revision history