Popular Writer Stephen Cannell Dies

Prolific writer and Emmy award winner Stephen Cannell has died of cancer at the age of 69. The California native broke into television by writing scripts for It Takes a Thief, Ironside and Adam 12. Cannell went on to create his own production company which released a string of top rated programs, including Rockford Files,A-team., and 21 Jump Street. At the end of his shows, you would see him tear a sheet out which would then float into an animation making the letter C. In recent years, he focused his attention on writing books. His 16th novel, The Prostitute's Ball, will be released this month. "I never thought of myself as being a brilliant writer, and still don't," he told the Associated Press.