David Jacobs, ‘Dallas’ and ‘Knots Landing’ Creator, Dies at 84
David Jacobs, the creator of CBS primetime series “Knots Landing,” “Dallas” and “Paradise,” has died. He was 84.
Jacobs, who battled Alzheimer’s for several years, died Sunday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. His son Aaron confirmed to Variety the news of his death.
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Jacobs created the original soap opera “Dallas,” which aired for 14 seasons from 1978 to 1991, and its reboot series of the same name that aired between 2012 and 2014. He was also the creator of the “Dallas” spinoff series “Knots Landing,” which debuted in 1979 and ran for 14 seasons until 1993.
Donna Mills, who was a key star of “Knot’s Landing,” remembered Jacobs as a “special person” as she expressed her appreciation for his work on the series.
“I am proud to have worked with him, but equally proud to have known him. He was so highly respected, and so helpful, not only to me, but to everyone associated with ‘Knots Landing.’ My thoughts are with his wife Diana, his children and his grandchildren.”
Along with “Dallas” and “Knots Landing,” Jacobs co-created the Western series “Paradise” (1988-1991) with Robert Porter. His other writing credits include “Four Corners,” “Family,” “Dallas: The Early Years,” “Kingston: Confidential” and “Bodies of Evidence.”
Jacobs executive produced ABC’s “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Homefront,” for which he scored two Emmy nominations.
Born on Aug. 12, 1939, in Baltimore, Jacobs received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and earned his master’s in art history at Hunter College in New York. He wrote several books, including 1968’s “Master Painters of the Renaissance” and 1975’s “Chaplin, the Movies & Charlie,” and wrote for such publications as “Esquire,” “Newsweek,” “Holiday” and “New York Times Magazine.” He also worked as a story editor for “American Heritage.”
Jacobs is survived by his children Aaron and Molly; his wife Diana; Albyn Hall, his daughter from a previous marriage to Lynne Oliansky; and grandchildren Riley and Georgia.
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