Frank Lupo, Stephen J. Cannell Creative Partner on ‘The A-Team,’ ‘Hunter’ and ‘Wiseguy,’ Dies at 66 (original) (raw)
The TV writer-producer also worked on 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' 'Riptide,' 'Raven' and more.
Frank Lupo Rebecca Sapp/WireImage
Frank Lupo, who partnered with Stephen J. Cannell to create such popular 1980s action shows as The A-Team, Hunter and Wiseguy, has died. He was 66.
Lupo died Feb. 18 of cardiac arrest in a hospital in The Villages, Florida, a community outside Ocala, his niece, Gina Dickerson, told The Hollywood Reporter.
He also served as a writer and executive producer on the 1993-94 first season of CBS’ Walker, Texas Ranger.
Born in Brooklyn on Jan. 22, 1955, Lupo graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School and attended The New School in Manhattan as an English major.
He came to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s and at age 20 was hired by Universal Television, where he met Cannell. After writing episodes of such shows as ABC’s Battlestar Galactica and NBC’s B.J. and the Bear, he worked with the late Rockford Files creator for the first time in 1981 on the ABC series The Greatest American Hero.
He and Cannell then created NBC’s The A-Team, which bowed in 1983, starred George Peppard and Mr. T and lasted five seasons; NBC’s Hunter, which debuted in 1984, starred Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer and aired seven seasons in its original run; NBC’s Riptide, which began in 1984, starred Perry King and Joe Penny and stayed three seasons; and CBS’ Wiseguy, which debuted in 1987, starred Ken Wahl and lasted four seasons.
Not everything they put together was a hit: The Adam West-starring The Last Precinct, the lone sitcom to come out of Stephen J. Cannell Productions, received the coveted post-Super Bowl slot in 1986 but was canceled after eight episodes.
Lupo also wrote and produced for the Cannell-created Stingray at NBC; wrote for other shows like CBS’ Magnum, P.I. and NBC’s The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo; and created the series Raven at CBS and Werewolf at Fox.
Survivors include his wife, Angel; sisters Ann and Linda; nieces Gina and Joanne; and brother-in-law Allen. Donations in his name may be made to the City of Hope or the Wounded Warrior Project.
March 9: The obituary was updated to include the cause and place of death, additional family members and other information.
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