Ron Koslow, the creator of the CBS series Beauty and the Beast, died on October 7 at his home in Brentwood. He was 81. His family confirmed the news.
Koslow’s name is linked to one of television’s most enduring fairy tale adaptations. The series, which aired from September 1987 through August 1990, starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. It was set in a fantastical subway world beneath New York City, with Perlman playing the mythic, noble man-beast and Hamilton as an assistant district attorney. The show ran for three seasons and earned Koslow three Emmy nominations for outstanding writing in a drama series in 1988 and for outstanding drama series in 1988 and 1989.
George R.R. Martin, who worked with Koslow on the series, told THR’s Seth Abramovitch in a 2017 interview that Koslow “was fond of saying that New York City is ‘a mythic place.’ Its powers and its lights. When you step back from it and look at it from a distance, there’s a magical aspect to New York itself.”
The creator also produced a reboot of the series that aired on The CW from 2012 to 2016. It lasted for four seasons. Beyond the TV series, Koslow’s work extended into film. He wrote the screenplay for Daniel Petrie’s Lifeguard (1976), starring Sam Elliott; Michael Apted’s Firstborn (1984), with Teri Garr and Peter Weller; and John Landis’ Into the Night (1985), with Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Born in St. Louis on April 9, 1945, Koslow grew up in Missouri and later in Los Angeles. He attended the University of California Berkeley and UCLA film school before earning a law degree from Loyola University. He became a member of the California Bar and worked as a lawyer before turning to writing.
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His creative pursuits included the ABC drama My Life and Times, which aired six episodes in 1991, and the Fox fantasy drama Roar, co-created with Shaun Cassidy, which aired eight episodes in 1997. He also co-created CBS’s Moonlight with Trevor Munson, which ran for 16 episodes in 2007-2008. In addition, he served as an executive producer on the WB superhero series Birds of Prey during its 2002-2003 run.
Koslow’s family remembered him as someone “known for his imagination and his ability to tell stories rooted in the deepest parts of the human experience.” His work explored themes of love, human connection, and worlds beyond the known. Survivors include his sister Judy, brother-in-law Stefan, and nieces Jenna and Lily.
His influence on television rests in his capacity to craft stories that blend myth and modernity. His series left a mark that extended beyond the screen, inspiring reboots and adaptations that kept his vision alive. In a career spanning more than three decades, Koslow’s name remains linked to stories that dared to imagine worlds that reflect the complexity of human nature.rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Hollywood Reporter.