Prolific biographer and ambassador Stephen J. Cannell, who created such shows as The Rockford Files and The A-Team, has died. He was 69.

Cannell died from complications associated with melanoma in his Pasadena, Calif., home on Thursday, The Associated Press reports.

Cannell got his alpha as a adventure editor on the cop ball Adam-12. He went on to actualize and co-create about 40 television series, including The Rockford Files, The A-Team, 21 Jump Street and The Commish.

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In contempo years, Cannell angry his focus from television to novels and appear 16 books.

The Los Angeles built-in was aswell an casual amateur and had a alternating role on ABC's Castle.

Cannell was affiliated to his top academy sweetheart, Marcia. The brace had two daughters, Tawnia and Chelsea, and a son, Cody. Their firsborn, Derek, died at the age of 15 in 1981