Robert Cinader
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Robert A. Cinader (November 10, 1924 – November 16, 1982) was an American television producer best known for his work on two
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
series packaged by actor/producer
Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise), ''Dragnet'' franchise ...
's
Mark VII Limited Mark VII Limited (formerly Mark VII Productions, pronounced "Mark 7") was the production company of actor and filmmaker Jack Webb, and was active from 1951 until his death in 1982. Many of its series were produced in association with Universal Tel ...
, ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...
'' and ''
Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...
'' The latter show in particular was widely credited by observers as one of the most important efforts to promote the widespread adoption of
paramedic A paramedic is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model, whose main role has historically been to respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics work as part of the emergency medical services (EMS), ...
services by fire departments and hospitals in the U.S.


Career

A native
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
er and an
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
veteran, Cinader first wrote for ''Holiday Magazine'', and later became head of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
' publications operation. Then he turned to the field of
television syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of content owners leasing the right to broadcast their content to other television stations or radio stations, without having an official broadcast network to air it on. It is common in the United States whe ...
, working for the
William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best-known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ...
and later for
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's syndication division, where he created a 1957 adventure series, ''The Silent Service,'' a '' Dragnet''-like semi-documentary anthology about Navy submarines. Afterward, he worked for both
Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...
and
Red Skelton Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national old-time radio, radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelto ...
in the early 1960s. While working a stint at
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, Cinader was approached by Webb (a former head of the WB TV operation) to assist him in producing his 1967–70 revival of ''Dragnet,'' for
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
. While on that job, he devised a show for Mark VII that told the story of the police beat from the perspective of two LAPD patrol officers. The result, ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...
'', ran on NBC from 1968 to 1975; Cinader was also the producer of that program during the early part of its run. In 1971, while brainstorming for new program ideas, Cinader heard about a trial paramedic program that
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...
was undertaking with funding by the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
. He became so enthralled with the idea that he persuaded Webb and Universal to make an entire show about the phenomenon. ''
Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...
'' was set in a fictional fire station, with trained firefighters attending to first aid and primary care of sick and injured victims on the scene, while electronically transmitting medical information to, and receiving instructions from, doctors and/or nurses at the fictional Rampart hospital. The show debuted as a mid-season replacement in early 1972, and despite facing the top-rated ''
All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...
'' for most of its run on Saturday nights, ''Emergency!'' managed to gain a large following among young viewers. NBC spun off the show into a Saturday-morning
cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...
series entitled ''
Emergency +4 ''Emergency 4: Global Fighters for Life'' (known as ''911: First Responders'' in North America) is a simulation video game developed by German studio Sixteen Tons Entertainment allowing users to manage emergency services on a variety of accidents ...
'', which lasted for two years in the mid-1970s. The prime-time show itself ran for six seasons as a weekly show and two more as a series of two-hour made-for-TV movies. Cinader eventually became its executive producer; during the 1973–74 season, he also helmed Mark VII's ''
Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national American financial institution * Chase UK, a British retail bank * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturer * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in ...
,'' a similar adventure-based show. The following year, he would supervise an ''Emergency!'' spin-off of sorts, '' Sierra'', a show that lasted only 13 weeks. He produced two 1979 miniseries '' The Rebels'' and ''
The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Unit ...
'', as well as ''
Condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
'' (1980). Cinader became an expert in emergency medicine and in 1975 was appointed to the Emergency Medical Services Commission of Los Angeles County and he served on the commission until his death. Just prior to his death, Cinader produced the first six episodes of ''
Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American media franchise, entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three-television series: the original ''Knight Rider (1982 TV series), Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequ ...
'', a new series from
Glen A. Larson Glen Albert Larson (January 3, 1937 – November 14, 2014) was an American television producer, writer, and composer. He created many series, including '' Alias Smith and Jones'', ''Battlestar Galactica'', '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', ' ...
. He is listed in the credits as Co-Executive Producer.


Death

Cinader died from cancer in
Encino, California Encino is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History Etymology The name Encino is the misspelling in masculine of Encina, the Spanish language, Spanish word for "holm oak” (Quercus ilex). The Spanis ...
six days after his 58th birthday, just five weeks before Webb also died. Cinader was survived by his wife of 31 years, Jean. The ''Knight Rider'' episode "The Final Verdict" was dedicated to him, stating "he was an original."


Legacy

Cinader became so identified with the paramedic movement that he received an appointment to the local Emergency Medical Services Commission. Los Angeles County Fire Department station 127 in
Carson, California Carson is a city in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and the Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor regions of Los Angeles County, California, located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately away from Los Angeles International ...
, shown in ''
Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...
'' as the fictional Station 51, was named as the Robert A. Cinader Memorial Fire Station in his memory.


Selected filmography

*'' Dragnet'' (1967–1970) (TV series) *''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...
'' (1968–1975) (TV series) *''
Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...
'' (1972–1979) (TV series) *'' Sierra'' (1974) (TV series) *'' Pine Canyon Is Burning'' (1977) (TV movie) *''
The Immigrants ''The Immigrants'' (1977) is a historical novel written by Howard Fast. Set in San Francisco during the early 20th century, it tells the story of Daniel Lavette, a self-described "roughneck" who rises from the ashes of the 1906 San Francisco e ...
'' (1978) (TV movie) *'' The Rebels'' (1979) (TV movie) *''
The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Unit ...
'' (1979) (TV movie) *'' Quincy, M.E.'' (1980) (TV series) *''
Condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
'' (1980) (TV movie) *''
Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American media franchise, entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three-television series: the original ''Knight Rider (1982 TV series), Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequ ...
'' (1982) (TV series)


References


Sources


Profile on "Emergency Fans" website
* ''Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present,'' Alex McNeil, New York: Penguin, revised ed., 1984.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cinader, Robert A. 1924 births 1982 deaths Television producers from California Deaths from cancer in California Mass media people from Los Angeles 20th-century American businesspeople American television show creators American magazine people