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William Blinn

Writer/ Producer

"It's not enough just to tell the truth.  Then you're doing the History Channel. There's something to be said for that, but it may not always be compelling. And it's not enough just to be interesting, because then you're doing Paris Hilton and her elephant. You know it'll be interesting, but it's cotton candy. If you can tell the truth in an interesting way, then you accomplished something."

About This Interview

William Blinn was interviewed for four hours in Encino, CA. Blinn talked about some of his first writing for television in a variety of dramatic genres for such series as Bonanza, Here Comes the Bride s, and The Interns. He spoke thoroughly about writing the teleplay for the landmark television movie Brian's Song , for which he won an Emmy and a Peabody Award. For Brian's Song, he talked about the casting of the telefilm, researching the real-life people on which it was based, and the audience reaction to the movie. He detailed his work on the popular 1970s series The Rookies and Starsky and Hutch . For Starsky, Blinn described his creation of the series and talked about the 2004 feature film adaptation. Blinn spoke in great detail about his work as the head writer of the landmark television miniseries Roots.  He talked about working with Roots author Alex Haley on the miniseries outline, talked about cast members, discussed many of the miniseries' dramatic moments, and offered his opinion of its legacy. He also talked about producing the popular series Eight Is Enough and Fame, describing the ups and downs of working on both of these shows.  Additionally, he spoke about his teleplay for the movie A Question of Love, one of the first television dramas involving a lesbian theme. The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on October 7, 2005.

Related To This Video

  • Shows
  • People
  • Topics
  • Professions

Shows

  • Bonanza
  • Brian's Song
  • Eight Is Enough
  • Fame (1982-87)
  • Invaders, The
  • Roots

People

  • Debbie Allen

Topics

  • Creative Influences and Inspiration

Professions

  • Writers & Show Creators

Resources

Brian's Song Screenplay Book

Book available:Brian's Song (Screenplay)

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Interview

  • Part 1
  • On his early childhood and education
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On first beginning to write for television in the early 1960s
    Clip begins at: 14:25
  • Part 2
  • On Bonanza, The Invaders, Gunsmoke and working for Screen Gems
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On Brian's Song and adapting it from the book
    Clip begins at: 22:33
  • Part 3
  • On Brian's Song; James Caan; on the racial issues with the show 
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On winning an Emmy for Brian's Song; The Rookies with Aaron Spelling
    Clip begins at: 13:23
  • Part 4
  • On Starsky and Hutch; getting the film rights
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On the genesis of Roots and adapting the book for television
    Clip begins at: 13:52
  • Part 5
  • On Alex Haley and Roots; on the research, casting, and other details about the miniseries
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On why he believes he was hired to adapt Roots for television; on specific characters, why it had to be filmed in English
    Clip begins at: 15:07
  • Part 6
  • On Roots; specific scenes
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On the reaction of the African-American community to Roots; on its legacy
    Clip begins at: 16:52
  • Part 7
  • On Eight is Enough; its concept and casting; on a project with Gena Rowlands
    Clip begins at: 0:0
  • On Fame and adapting it from the movie to television
    Clip begins at: 21:40
  • On a typical workweek on Fame; on the choreography by Debbie Allen; on fan favorites; on leaving the show
    Clip begins at: 00:19
  • On his proudest achievements; on advice to aspiring writers
    Clip begins at: 21:29

Shows

  • Bonanza
    • William Blinn on storylines he wrote for Bonanza and the origin of those ideas
      Clip begins at: 01:16
  • Brian's Song
    • William Blinn on the genesis of Brian's Song which he wrote
      Clip begins at: 00:00
    • William Blinn on adapting Brian's Song;  James Caan's performance
      Clip begins at: 00:18
    • William Blinn on the legacy of Brian's Song; its emotional impact
      Clip begins at: 18:05
  • Eight Is Enough
    • William Blinn on Eight is Enough which he developed based on a book 
      Clip begins at: 21:42
    • William Blinn on Eight is Enough; its casting, and cancellation
      Clip begins at: 00:19
  • Fame (1982-87)
    • William Blinn on developing Fame for television
      Clip begins at: 21:40
    • William Blinn on a typical workweek on Fame; working with Debbie Allen
      Clip begins at: 00:19, Duration: 26m 48s
  • Invaders, The
    • William Blinn on The Invaders for which he wrote an episode
      Clip begins at: 10:10
  • Roots
    • William Blinn on the genesis of Roots; meeting Alex Haley
      Clip begins at: 13:52
    • William Blinn on Alex Haley and Roots; on the research, casting, and other details about the miniseries
      Clip begins at: 00:18
    • On the famous scene in Roots where Kunta is held up under a star-filled sky
      Clip begins at: 18:24
    • William Blinn on specific scenes in Roots; taking dramatic licenses
      Clip begins at: 00:19
    • William Blinn on the reaction of the African-American community to Roots; its use in education
      Clip begins at: 16:52
    • William Blinn on the legacy of Roots
      Clip begins at: 18:50

People

  • Debbie Allen
    • William Blinn on working with Debbie Allen on Fame which she choreographed
      Clip begins at: 02:15

Topics

  • Creative Influences and Inspiration
    • William Blinn on the first time he saw television and the impact it made on him
      Clip begins at: 14:42

Genres

  • Western Series
    • William Blinn on the elements and formula of Westerns on television, the "horse-operas"
      Clip begins at: 04:55

Professions

  • Writers & Show Creators > Writer
    • William Blinn on advice he would give aspiring writers
      Clip begins at: 23:29, Duration: 03m 38s
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