David Jacobs, the creator of the highly-rated CBS series “Knots Landing,” “Dallas,” and “Paradise,” has died. He was 84 years old, as reported by Variety. Jacobs, who battled Alzheimer’s for several years, passed away on Sunday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. His son, Aaron, confirmed the news of his death to Variety.
David Jacobs, creator of “Dallas,” has passed away
Jacobs created the original soap opera “Dallas,” which aired for 14 seasons between 1978 and 1991, as well as the rebooted series with the same name that aired from 2012 to 2014. He was also the creator of the “Dallas” spinoff series “Knots Landing,” which debuted in 1979 and ran for 14 seasons until 1993.
In addition to “Dallas” and “Knots Landing,” Jacobs co-created the western series “Paradise” (1988-1991) alongside Robert Porter. Among his other writing credits are “Four Corners,” “Family,” “Dallas: The Early Years,” “Kingston: Confidential,” and “Bodies of Evidence.”
Jacobs served as the executive producer of the series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Homefront” on ABC, earning two Emmy nominations for his work.
Born on August 12, 1939, in Baltimore, Jacobs earned a BFA degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a master’s degree in art history from Hunter College in New York. He authored several books, including “Master Painters of the Renaissance” in 1968 and “Chaplin, the Movies & Charlie” in 1975, and contributed to publications like Esquire, Newsweek, Holiday, and New York Times Magazine. He also worked as an articles editor for American Heritage.
