August 13, 2012

Robert Collins, Writer, Director, Creator of Police Woman

In addition to creating Police Woman, Collins worked widely in television, including episodes of such series as Marcus Welby, M.D., Serpico, Cannon, Mod Squad and Police Story.

Julia Waldow

Robert L. Collins, the creator of the 1970s NBC series Police Woman, died of cardiopulmonary arrest on Oct. 21, 2011, in Van Nuys, Calif. He was 81.

In addition to Police Woman, which became one of the first successful hour-long American drama series to feature a woman in a starring role, Collins wrote and/or directed TV shows including Marcus Welby, M.D., Serpico, Cannon, Mod Squad and Police Story.

Collins not only received a 1975 Primetime Emmy nomination for an episode of Police Story, but also created a 1974 episode that was used as a Los Angeles and New York police academy training film.

Collins also wrote and/or directed TV movies, including The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish (1977), Act of Violence (1979), Gideon’s Trumpet (1980) and The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro (1989).

In addition, Collins directed a version of Death of a Salesman at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.

Survivors include his wife, three sons, a brother, a daughter-in-law, six grandchildren and two nieces.

Services took place on Oct. 27, 2011 at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles. His family requested that donations be made to the New York-based Doctors Without Borders.

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