William Link, the co-creator of classic TV series like “Columbo” and “Murder She Wrote” died Sunday in Los Angeles at the age of 87.
Margery Nelson, Link’s wife of more than 40 years, told Deadline the cause of death was congestive heart failure.
Link worked in television for around 60 years, collaborating on several projects with friend Richard Levinson.
The pair created “Columbo” for NBC. The Peter Falk-led detective show aired from 1971 to 1978, including its pilot episode directed by Steven Spielberg, who credits Link with giving him one of his first jobs.
“Bill’s truly good nature always inspired me to do good work for a man who, along with Dick Levinson, was a huge part of what became my own personal film school on the Universal lot,” Spielberg said in a statement. “Bill was one of my favorite and most patient teachers and, more than anything, I learned so much from him about the true anatomy of a plot. I caught a huge break when Bill and Dick trusted a young, inexperienced director to do the first episode of “Columbo.” That job helped convince the studio to let me do “Duel,” and with all that followed I owe Bill so very, very much. My thoughts are with Margery and his entire family.”
Link and Levinson were joined by Peter S. Fischer to bring “Murder She Wrote” with Jessica Lansbury as a traveling crime-solving mystery novelist to CBS. That show aired from 1984 to 1996.
Both shows became huge hits and still regularly air in syndication.
Link is also credited with creating “Mannix” and “Tenafly,” a detective show that was also one of the first TV shows with a Black lead.
Link also wrote several TV movies that dealt with progressive social issues which were considered groundbreaking at the time.
Link, who won several awards including Emmys and Golden Globes during his career, was inducted into the TV Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1995.
