Stephen J. Cannell dies; creator of 'The Rockford Files,' '21 Jump Street'

Stephen J. Cannell, a prolific TV producer and writer who created "The Rockford Files," "The A-Team," "21 Jump Street" and more, has died.

Cannell, 69, died Thursday night (Sept. 30) at his home in Pasadena, Calif., the AP reports. He had been fighting melanoma for some time.

"With profound sadness, we have to announce that our dear friend and colleague, Stephen Cannell, has lost a brave fight against cancer," a statement on Cannell's website reads. "He will be missed beyond measure by the Cannell Team and all of us who had the privilege and the plain good luck to know and work with him. Through the legacy of his body of work, with which he was able to entertain and enrich the lives of millions of viewers and thousands of readers, he will always be with us, living on in our hearts and minds, with fond memories forever."

Cannell overcame dyslexia to become one of the most successful TV creators of the 1970s and '80s. He won an Emmy for outstanding drama series in 1978 for "The Rockford Files" and was nominated as a writer and producer five other times for his shows "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe," "The Greatest American Hero" and "Wiseguy." He also earned lifetime achievement awards from the Writers Guild of America and the Mystery Writers of America.

His credits as a writer and producer also include "Adam-12," "Baretta," "Hardcastle and McCormick," "Riptide," "Hunter" and "Silk Stalkings." Cannell was also a best-selling author with 16 titles to his credit, and he occasionally appeared in front of the camera as well -- most recently as one of Castle's (Nathan Fillion) mystery-writer poker buddies on the ABC series "Castle."

He's survived by his wife, Marcia, and three children.

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Photo credit: Cannell.com