Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Richard Levinson attended summer camp as a young boy and met William Link, who would become his writing and producing partner throughout their professional careers. Together the two wrote sketches while at camp, and later at the University of Pennsylvania. After college and a brief stint in the Army, Levinson landed work writing on anthology series like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Chevy Mystery Show." Levinson and Link created their first and perhaps most famous detective when they came up with "Columbo," who was immortalized by Peter Falk in the series of the same name that began in 1971 and ran for 12 seasons ending in 1998. During this time the duo brought to life a number of famous detectives and mystery shows including the violent drama "Mannix," the TV adaptation of "Ellery Queen," and the long-running Angela Lansbury vehicle "Murder, She Wrote." This show debuted in 1984 and proved wildly popular, running for 12 years and over 250 episodes, and defining the second half of Lansbury's long career. The pair's mystery niche served them well, earning them much acclaim including numerous Emmy nominations, and a win for "Columbo." In 1986, Levinson was honored with the Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement, which is awarded by the Writers Guild of America. Sadly, Levinson's career was cut short when he died of a sudden heart attack in 1987 at the age of 52.
