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| Role: | Executive Producer | |||||
| BSG Universe: | Original Series and Galactica 1980 | |||||
| Date of Birth: | January 3, 1937 | |||||
| Date of Death: | November 14, 2014 | |||||
| Age at Death: | 77 | |||||
| Nationality: |  USA
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[{{{site}}} Official Site]
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| IMDb profile | ||||||
Glen A. Larson (3 January 1937 – 14 November 2014) was the creator of the original Battlestar Galactica and a consulting producer for the 2003 Re-imagined Series.
Larson was a prolific television producer and writer who created numerous iconic series throughout his career, including Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., Quincy, M.E., and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. His work consistently featured high-concept science fiction and action-adventure themes, often incorporating cutting-edge technology and vehicles as central elements of the storytelling.
Early Life
As child to a single mother, Glen A. Larson would be later described as a "latchkey kid" by his son, David Larson, who notes his father's predilection for running water as being a means to remind himself of the halcyon time in his childhood. This was because Glen A. Larson's mother would start running a bath upon returning from work at night, and thus Larson would know that she had returned.[production 1]
Early Career and The Four Preps
Later in life as a young man, he became a page at NBC, where he became surrounded by motion picture and, later, television production.[production 2] During this time, he also entered the music industry under The Four Preps in the late 1950s, writing and performing songs that hit the top 5 in the Billboard pop charts, including "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)"[external 1] and "Big Man." In 1959, Larson appeared in the film Gidget, making it his first on-screen appearance.
During his work with the Four Preps, Glen A. Larson began writing using IBM Selectric typewriters, writing his first script called "Finger Popper," a script that was never produced.[production 3]
Creative Philosophy and Writing Process
When it came to writing, Larson believed that "writing isn't writing, it's rewriting" during the search for themes of a story. Whenever he would come across a story problem, he would "reverse it"—"if you can't make something happen one way you look at the opposite [ways]."[development 1]
He was also known for isolating himself from distractions, secluding himself in his Malibu, California residence when writing, not answering phone calls and delegating tasks to others.[development 2] Jeff Freilich, Chris Bunch, and Alan Cole, among others, have noted this approach in various interviews relating to Larson's working methods.
Career in Television Production
Early Television Work
Larson's television career began in earnest during the late 1960s, starting with associate producer roles on series such as It Takes a Thief in 1968. He quickly moved into executive producer positions, notably with The Six Million Dollar Man television movies in 1973, which established his reputation for high-concept action-adventure programming.
Science Fiction Television
Larson's approach to science fiction television consistently emphasized accessibility and entertainment value over hard science fiction concepts. He believed in creating shows that would appeal to broad audiences while incorporating fantastical elements that captured viewers' imaginations. This philosophy became evident in his most famous creation, Battlestar Galactica, which combined space opera elements with family drama and military action.
Galactica 1980
When casting the guest role of the Lollipop star in "The Night the Cylons Landed, Part II," Larson offered the part to actress Heather Young. Young later recalled that she and Larson were personal friends and fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and attributed the casting directly to that friendship.[commentary 1]
Connection to Re-imagined Series
According to the Official Companion, Larson wanted a credit for the new 2003 Miniseries by Ronald D. Moore who began the Re-imagined Series, and his claim went to arbitration at the Writer's Guild of America. Ron Moore actually felt that Larson deserved a credit because the story was essentially the same as Larson's, just done "in different ways". As a result, Larson is credited in the Miniseries under the pseudonym "Christopher Eric James."[production 4] Larson is also credited as a consulting producer on every episode of the Re-imagined Series because he holds the rights to the concept of Battlestar Galactica.
Notable Filmography
- It Takes a Thief (1968) (TV series) (associate producer)
- The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War (1973) (TV movie) (executive producer)
- The Six Million Dollar Man: Solid Gold Kidnapping (1973) (TV movie) (executive producer)
- Quincy, M.E. (1976) (TV series) (executive producer)
- Battlestar Galactica (1978)
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Movie and TV series (1979)
- Galactica 1980 (1980)
- Magnum, P.I. (1980)
- Knight Rider (1982)
- Team Knight Rider (1997) TV Series (executive producer)
- Millennium Man (1999) (TV) (executive producer)
- Battlestar Galactica (2003) TV Miniseries (consulting producer)
- Battlestar Galactica (2004) TV Series (consulting producer)
- Caprica (2009) TV Series (consulting producer)
Official Statements
- Glen A. Larson comments on the Re-imagined Series:
- Our point was to whenever possible make it a departure like you're visiting somewhere else and we did coin certain phrases for use in expletive situations, but we tried to carry that over into a lot of other stuff, even push brooms and the coin of the realm.[commentary 2]
Death and Legacy
Glen A. Larson died on 14 November 2014, leaving behind a significant legacy in television production. His influence on science fiction television, particularly through Battlestar Galactica, continues through both the enduring popularity of the original series and the successful re-imagined series that followed. His approach to high-concept television programming established templates that continue to influence producers and creators in the genre.
External links
References
Development and Creative Process
- ↑ Altman, Mark A.; Gross, Edward (2018). So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica. Tor Books. ISBN 9781250128942, p. 34.
- ↑ Altman, Mark A.; Gross, Edward (2018). So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica. Tor Books. ISBN 9781250128942, p. 36.
Production History
- ↑ Altman, Mark A.; Gross, Edward (2018). So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica. Tor Books. ISBN 9781250128942, p. 35.
- ↑ Altman, Mark A.; Gross, Edward (2018). So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica. Tor Books. ISBN 9781250128942, p. 35.
- ↑ Altman, Mark A.; Gross, Edward (2018). So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica. Tor Books. ISBN 9781250128942, p. 35.
- ↑ David Bassom (2005). Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books.
Commentary and Interviews
- ↑ Myatt, Karen (September 2023). "Working on Land of the Giants wasn't Heather Young's favourite adventure". Infinity (63): 58.
- ↑ The curse word 'Battlestar Galactica' created (content archived on Archive.org) . (2 September 2008). Retrieved on 9 October 2008.
External Sources
- ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs, 2nd, London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd, p. 91.
