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| | image=Donald bellisario.jpg | | | image=Donald bellisario.jpg |
| | role=Producer | | | role=Producer |
| | series=TOS | | | series=[[TOS]] |
| | born_month=8 | | | born_month= 8 |
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| | born_year=1935 | | | born_year= 1935 |
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| | nationality=US | | | nationality=US |
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| | '''Donald Paul Bellisario''' (born 8 August 1935) was a producer, scriptwriter and director on the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' television series. After ''Galactica'', he went on to create ''[[w:Magnum P.I.|Magnum P.I.]]'', ''[[w:Airwolf|Airwolf]]'', ''[[w:Quantum Leap|Quantum Leap]]'', ''[[w:JAG|JAG]]'', and ''[[w:Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service|Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service]]''. |
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| '''Donald Paul Bellisario''' (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer, screenwriter, and director best known for creating or co-creating seven prime-time series including ''[[w:Magnum, P.I.|Magnum, P.I.]]'', ''[[w:Quantum Leap|Quantum Leap]]'', ''[[w:JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'', and the ''[[w:NCIS (franchise)|NCIS]]'' franchise.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_biography">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=Donald%20Paul%20Bellisario|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="roberts_encyclopedia_television_directors">{{cite_book|title=Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors|author=Jerry Roberts|publisher=Scarecrow Press|date=5 June 2009|pages=36–37|isbn=978-0-8108-6378-1}}</ref><ref group="external" name="vanderwerff_latimes_bellisario_profile">{{cite_news|url=https://www.latimes.com/|title=Donald P. Bellisario|author=Emily VanDerWerff|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=6 July 2010|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref> On the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' television series, Bellisario served as supervising producer, writer, and director from 1978 to 1979, contributing eleven teleplays and directing two episodes including the series finale.<ref group="external" name="imdb_bsg_bellisario_credits">{{cite_web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076984/fullcredits/|title=Battlestar Galactica (TV Series 1978–1979) - Full cast & crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> His military background as a United States Marine significantly influenced his authentic depiction of military culture on ''Galactica'' and throughout his subsequent career.<ref group="commentary" name="bellisario_proceedings_military_influence">{{cite_web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/donald-bellisario-magnum-p-i/#:~:text=Almost%20all%20of%20my%20TV%20shows|title=We can thank this veteran for Magnum, P.I., and his service|publisher=We Are The Mighty|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
| | Born in [[w:North Charleroi, Pennsylvania|North Charleroi, Pennsylvania]], Bellisario served as a [[w:United States Marine|United States Marine]] in the 1950s. Graduating from [[w:Penn State University|Penn State University]] with a Bachelors in Journalism, Bellisario worked for 15 years writing advertisements before relocating to [[w:Hollywood|Hollywood]]. His military career has influenced his television and film work, starting with ''[[w:Baa Baa Black Sheep|Baa Baa Black Sheep]]'' in the 1970's. His realistic depiction of military culture is one of his main contributions to ''Galactica''. |
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| == Early Life and Military Service ==
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| Bellisario was born in [[w:North Charleroi, Pennsylvania|North Charleroi, Pennsylvania]], a coal mining community in Washington County approximately 20 miles from Pittsburgh.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_birthplace">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=born%20on%20August%208%2C%201935|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> His father, Albert Jethro Bellisario, emigrated from Gamberale in Italy's Abruzzo region, while his mother, Dana Lapcevic Bellisario, was Serbian-American.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_parents">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=His%20father%2C%20Albert%20Jethro%20Bellisario|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="markovic_zadovoljna_serbian_heritage">{{cite_web|url=https://zadovoljna.rs/zvezde/ex-yu-zvezde/194233/glumice-za-koje-niste-imali-pojma-da-su-srpskog-porekla|title=Glumice za koje niste imali pojma da su srpskog porekla|author=Kristina Markovic|publisher=Zadovoljna|date=13 July 2023|accessdate=27 January 2026|language=Serbian}}</ref> Growing up in western Pennsylvania's coal country, young Donald absorbed war stories from veterans who gathered at his father's tavern, experiences that would profoundly shape his later television work.<ref group="commentary" name="pabook_bellisario_war_stories">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| After initially enrolling at [[w:Pennsylvania State University|Penn State University]] in 1953, Bellisario left to join the [[w:United States Marine Corps|United States Marine Corps]] in January 1955.<ref group="external" name="wearethemighty_bellisario_marine_service">{{cite_web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/donald-bellisario-magnum-p-i/#:~:text=He%20served%20in%20the%20Marine%20Corps|title=We can thank this veteran for Magnum, P.I., and his service|publisher=We Are The Mighty|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> He served four years until January 1959, attaining the rank of Sergeant (E-5) and earning the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_marine_rank">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=attaining%20the%20rank%20of%20Sergeant|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> Stationed with Marine Air Control Squadron 9 (MACS-9) at Twentynine Palms, California, he lived in a Quonset hut with his young family during this period.<ref group="commentary" name="pabook_bellisario_twentynine_palms">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| During his Marine service, Bellisario had a brief encounter with [[w:Lee Harvey Oswald|Lee Harvey Oswald]] at a supply shed, an experience that decades later inspired the two-part ''Quantum Leap'' episode "Lee Harvey Oswald."<ref group="commentary" name="pabook_bellisario_oswald_encounter">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=encountered%20Lee%20Harvey%20Oswald|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> Bellisario's military experiences became the foundation of his creative career, as he later wrote in the U.S. Naval Institute's ''Proceedings'': "Almost all of my TV shows, from ''Airwolf'' to ''Quantum Leap'' to ''JAG'' and ''NCIS'', employ military themes. I rely heavily on incidents I either experienced or heard of while a Marine."<ref group="commentary" name="bellisario_proceedings_military_themes">{{cite_web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/donald-bellisario-magnum-p-i/#:~:text=Almost%20all%20of%20my%20TV%20shows|title=We can thank this veteran for Magnum, P.I., and his service|publisher=We Are The Mighty|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| == Education and Advertising Career ==
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| Returning to Penn State after his military discharge, Bellisario completed his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism in 1961, arriving with two small children and limited financial resources.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_penn_state_degree">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=Graduating%20from%20Penn%20State%20University|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> He then worked approximately four years as a reporter at the ''Centre Daily Times'' in State College before transitioning to advertising in 1965.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_journalism_career">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| Bellisario's fifteen years in advertising took him from a small Lancaster, Pennsylvania agency to Dallas's Bloom Agency, where he rose to Senior Vice President, Head of Film Production, Creative Director, and Member of the Board.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_advertising_positions">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=rose%20to%20Senior%20Vice%20President|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> He directed television commercials and created campaigns for clients including Southwest Airlines and Jack's Beer.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_advertising_clients">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> At age 41, he relocated to [[w:Hollywood|Hollywood]] in 1976 to pursue screenwriting, taking what he later described as his "big gamble."<ref group="commentary" name="statecollege_bellisario_hollywood_move">{{cite_web|url=https://www.statecollege.com/articles/arts-entertainment/donald-bellisario-to-speak-at-psu-commencement/#:~:text=big%20gamble|title=Donald Bellisario to speak at PSU commencement|publisher=StateCollege.com|date=8 April 2016|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| == Television Career ==
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| === ''Baa Baa Black Sheep'' ===
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| Bellisario's break came when he submitted a script to [[w:Stephen J. Cannell|Stephen J. Cannell]] for ''[[w:Baa Baa Black Sheep (TV series)|Baa Baa Black Sheep]]'' (later retitled ''Black Sheep Squadron''), the NBC series about Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington's World War II Marine fighter squadron.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_black_sheep">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=His%20military%20career%20has%20influenced|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> Hired as story editor, Bellisario was promoted to producer after just five episodes.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_black_sheep_producer">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> The series ran from September 1976 to April 1978, producing 37 episodes and launching Bellisario's television career.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_black_sheep_episodes">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| === ''Battlestar Galactica'' ===
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| Bellisario joined ''Battlestar Galactica'' through his working relationship with creator [[Glen A. Larson]], having previously written for Larson's series ''Switch''.<ref group="external" name="tcm_bellisario_larson_relationship">{{cite_web|url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/donald-p-bellisario#:~:text=fruitful%20association|title=Donald P. Bellisario|publisher=Television Academy|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> [[w:Turner Classic Movies|Turner Classic Movies]] characterized theirs as a "fruitful association" that would continue through ''Magnum, P.I.''
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| Serving as supervising producer for 17 episodes and producer for 3 additional episodes during the series' single-season run, Bellisario was one of ''Galactica'''s two principal writer-producers alongside Larson.<ref group="production" name="imdb_bellisario_producer_credits">{{cite_web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076984/fullcredits/|title=Battlestar Galactica (TV Series 1978–1979) - Full cast & crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> His realistic depiction of military culture, drawn from his Marine Corps background, became one of his signature contributions to the series.<ref group="commentary" name="bellisario_military_culture_contribution">{{cite_web|url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/donald-bellisario-magnum-p-i/|title=We can thank this veteran for Magnum, P.I., and his service|publisher=We Are The Mighty|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| Bellisario is credited with creating and naming the [[Borellian Nomen]], the fierce warrior tribe introduced in "[[The Man with Nine Lives]]." Characterized by their distinctive honor code and signature [[laser bola]] weapon, the Nomen returned in "[[Baltar's Escape]]"—both episodes written by Bellisario.
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| === Post-Galactica Success ===
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| After ''Galactica'''s cancellation, the Bellisario-Larson collaboration continued with ''Magnum, P.I.'' (CBS, 1980-1988), which they co-created.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_magnum">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=he%20went%20on%20to%20create|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> The series ran 162 episodes over eight seasons, winning Bellisario the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the 1981 episode "China Doll."<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_edgar_award">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=Edgar%20Allan%20Poe%20Award|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| Bellisario then created a succession of hit series:
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| * ''[[w:Tales of the Gold Monkey|Tales of the Gold Monkey]]'' (ABC, 1982-1983) — 21 episodes
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| * ''[[w:Airwolf|Airwolf]]'' (CBS 1984-1986; USA Network 1987) — 80 episodes; Bellisario wrote and directed the pilot
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| * ''[[w:Quantum Leap|Quantum Leap]]'' (NBC, 1989-1993) — 97 episodes over five seasons; earned 5 Emmy Awards and multiple nominations including four for Outstanding Drama Series<ref group="external" name="imdb_quantum_leap_awards">{{cite_web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096684/awards/|title=Quantum Leap (TV Series 1989–1993) - Awards|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="commentary" name="televisionacademy_quantum_leap_interview">{{cite_web|url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/donald-p-bellisario|title=Quantum Leap|publisher=Television Academy Interviews|date=23 October 2017|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="oconnor_nytimes_quantum_leap_review">{{cite_news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/|title=Review/Television; An Actor's 'Quantum Leap' Through Times and Roles|author=John J. O'Connor|publisher=The New York Times|date=22 November 1989|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="universal_quantum_leap_bellisario_bio">{{cite_web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060712000000*/http://www.scifi.com/quantumleap/bio_bellisario.html|title=Donald Paul Bellisario|publisher=Universal Television via Quantum Leap official site (Sci Fi Channel)|archive=Y|archivedate=12 July 2006|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref>
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| * ''[[w:JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'' (NBC 1995-1996; CBS 1997-2005) — 227 episodes over ten seasons<ref group="external" name="imdb_jag_episodes">{{cite_web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112022/|title=JAG (TV Series 1995–2005)|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| * ''[[w:First Monday|First Monday]]'' (CBS, 2002) — Supreme Court drama co-created with Paul Levine
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| * ''[[w:Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service|NCIS]]'' (CBS, 2003-present) — Co-created with Don McGill; as of January 2026, the flagship series has aired over 489 episodes across 23 seasons<ref group="external" name="thewrap_ncis_franchise">{{cite_web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/ncis-1000-episodes-cbs-franchise-evolution/#:~:text=1%2C000%20episodes|title=NCIS: How the CBS Franchise Made it to 1,000 Episodes|publisher=TheWrap|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="carter_nytimes_bellisario_hit_maker">{{cite_news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/|title=Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker|author=Bill Carter|publisher=The New York Times|date=25 October 2005|volume=155|issue=53378|pages=E1–E7|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="patten_deadline_bellisario_cbs_settlement">{{cite_web|url=https://deadline.com/|title=UPDATE: 'NCIS' Creator 'Gratified' to Reach Settlement with CBS|author=Dominic Patten|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|date=18 January 2013|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref>
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| The ''NCIS'' franchise has expanded to seven series including ''NCIS: Los Angeles'', ''NCIS: New Orleans'', ''NCIS: Hawai'i'', ''NCIS: Sydney'', ''NCIS: Origins'', and ''NCIS: Tony & Ziva'', surpassing 1,000 total episodes in 2024.<ref group="external" name="yahoo_ncis_franchise_episodes">{{cite_web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/many-ncis-shows-complete-guide-174657706.html#:~:text=seven%20series|title=How Many 'NCIS' Shows Are There? A Complete Guide|publisher=Yahoo!|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| == Awards and Recognition ==
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| Bellisario received five Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series—three for ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1982-1984) and two for ''Quantum Leap'' (1991-1992).<ref group="external" name="televisionacademy_bellisario_emmys">{{cite_web|url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/donald-p-bellisario#:~:text=five%20Emmy%20nominations|title=Donald P. Bellisario|publisher=Television Academy|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> His production company, Belisarius Productions (named for the Roman general Flavius Belisarius, an Italian variant of his surname), has produced all his series since 1980.
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| Major recognitions include:
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| * Hollywood Walk of Fame Star (March 2, 2004) — located at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard<ref group="external" name="walkoffame_bellisario_star">{{cite_web|url=https://walkoffame.com/donald-bellisario/|title=Donald Bellisario - Hollywood Walk of Fame|publisher=Hollywood Walk of Fame|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| * Edgar Allan Poe Award (1981) — Mystery Writers of America
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| * Producer of the Year (2001) — Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors
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| * Marine Corps Scholarship Fund Globe and Anchor Award (2002)
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| * UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Award (October 27, 2016)<ref group="external" name="ucla_neurosurgery_visionary_award">{{cite_web|url=https://www.uclaneurosurgery.org/visionary-ball/honorees/donald-p-bellisario/|title=Donald P. Bellisario – Honoree – UCLA Neurosurgery Visionary Ball|publisher=UCLA Neurosurgery|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref>
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| Penn State University named Bellisario a Distinguished Alumnus in 2001 and, following a $30 million gift, renamed its journalism school the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications on April 21, 2017.<ref group="external" name="pennstate_bellisario_college">{{cite_web|url=https://www.psu.edu/news/administration/story/don-and-viv-bellisario-named-2018-philanthropists-year#:~:text=Donald%20P.%20Bellisario%20College%20of%20Communications|title=Don and Viv Bellisario named 2018 Philanthropists of the Year|publisher=Penn State University|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="pennstate_bellisario_million_gift_2006">{{cite_web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602000000*/https://live.psu.edu/story/19970|title=Bellisario's $1 million gift endows scholarships in College of Communications|publisher=Penn State University|date=2 October 2006|archive=Y|archivedate=2 June 2009|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="pennstate_bellisario_endows_college">{{cite_web|url=https://news.psu.edu/|title=Television legend Donald P. Bellisario endows College of Communications|publisher=Penn State University|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="pennstate_bellisario_dedication_site">{{cite_web|url=https://bellisario.psu.edu/|title=Bellisario Gift – Dedication Site|publisher=Bellisario College of Communications|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref>
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| == Personal Life ==
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| Bellisario has been married four times and has eight children.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_family">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul#:~:text=has%20been%20married%20four%20times|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> His children include actress [[w:Troian Bellisario|Troian Bellisario]] (''Pretty Little Liars''), producer David Bellisario (1957-2020, who worked on ''NCIS: Los Angeles''),<ref group="external" name="legacy_david_bellisario_obituary">{{cite_web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/david-bellisario-obituary?id=9079106|title=David Scott Bellisario Obituary (1957–2020)|publisher=Legacy.com / Los Angeles Times|accessdate=27 January 2026}}</ref> and producers Julie Bellisario-Watson and Michael Bellisario, who have worked on his various series. His current wife Vivienne Murray has two sons from a previous marriage: actor [[w:Sean Murray (actor)|Sean Murray]], who has played Timothy McGee on ''NCIS'' since 2003, and Chad W. Murray, a producer on ''NCIS''.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_stepchildren">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| Bellisario divides his time between Montecito, California and Sydney, Australia.<ref group="external" name="pabook_bellisario_residences">{{cite_web|url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul|title=Donald Bellisario|publisher=Pennsylvania Center for the Book|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref> He celebrated his 90th birthday on August 10, 2025 at a party attended by stars from across his productions.<ref group="external" name="yahoo_bellisario_90th_birthday">{{cite_web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/ncis-jag-quantum-leap-stars-230957507.html#:~:text=90th%20Birthday|title=NCIS, JAG and Quantum Leap Stars Unite for Series Creator Donald Bellisario's 90th Birthday|publisher=Yahoo!|accessdate=26 January 2026}}</ref>
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| == Writer credits for "Battlestar Galactica" == | | == Writer credits for "Battlestar Galactica" == |
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| == Notes == | | == Notes == |
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| * Bellisario was responsible for naming the [[Borellian Nomen]]. | | *Bellisario was responsible for naming the [[Borellian Nomen]] ([[Sciography]]). |
| * Several actors who worked with Bellisario on ''Galactica'' became recurring members of his later productions, including [[Larry Manetti]] (who later became a regular on ''Magnum, P.I.'') and [[Jeff MacKay]].
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| * Television historians have noted conceptual similarities between the ''Galactica'' episode "[[Experiment in Terra]]"—where [[Apollo (TOS)|Apollo]] appears as another person with [[John|an invisible companion]]—and ''Quantum Leap'''s premise, though Bellisario has stated he does not remember the episode and that it was not the direct inspiration for the later series.
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| * After ''Galactica'''s cancellation, Bellisario and Glen A. Larson were reportedly tasked with developing a ''Battlestar'' project involving time travel to correct Earth's history; budget constraints forced them toward ''[[Galactica 1980]]'' instead, though Bellisario later revisited the time travel concept when creating ''Quantum Leap''.
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| == References ==
| | {{stub}} |
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| === External Sources ===
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| {{reflist|group=external}} | |
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| === Commentary and Interviews ===
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| {{reflist|group=commentary}}
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| === Production History ===
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| {{reflist|group=production}}
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| == Further reading ==
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| * Carter, Bill (October 25, 2005). "Behind a Quiet Little Hit, a Reliable Hit Maker". ''The New York Times''. Vol. 155, no. 53378. pp. E1–E7. About Donald P. Bellisario.
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| == External links ==
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| * {{imdb name|id=0069074|name=Donald P. Bellisario}}
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| * [https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/donald-p-bellisario Television Academy Interview]
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| * [https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/bellisario_donald_paul Pennsylvania Center for the Book Biography]
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| [[Category: A to Z|Bellisario, Don]] | | [[Category: A to Z|Bellisario, Don]] |
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| [[Category: Writers|Bellisario, Don]] | | [[Category: Writers|Bellisario, Don]] |
| [[Category: TOS|Bellisario, Don]] | | [[Category: TOS|Bellisario, Don]] |
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| [[de:Donald Bellisario]] | | [[de:Donald Bellisario]] |
| [[fr:Donald Bellisario]] | | [[fr:Donald Bellisario]] |
