Ron Koslow, Creator of TV’s ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ Dies at 81
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Ron Koslow, creator of the CBS fantasy drama *Beauty and the Beast*, has died aged 81. His modern, mythic take on the fairy tale helped establish the series as a distinctive blend of romance, fantasy and New York City storytelling.
Koslow died at home in Brentwood on 7 October, his family said. The show starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, ran for three seasons from 1987 to 1990 and earned Koslow three Emmy nominations. His other work included screenplays for *Lifeguard*, *Firstborn* and *Into the Night*, and television dramas including *Moonlight* and *Roar*.
- Ron Koslow, creator of *Beauty and the Beast*, has died aged 81.
- The CBS series ran for three seasons from 1987 to 1990.
- Koslow received three Emmy nominations for his work on the show.
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Ron Koslow was an American television writer and producer whose best-known creation was Beauty and the Beast, a fantasy drama that reworked the familiar fairy tale for modern New York. The series paired Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman and followed a hidden community living beneath the city.
The CBS show ran for three seasons from 1987 to 1990 and earned Koslow three Emmy nominations. His other work included the films Lifeguard, Firstborn and Into the Night, as well as several television dramas; Beauty and the Beast later inspired a separate CW series.
Full account
Ron Koslow, the writer and producer who created the CBS fantasy drama *Beauty and the Beast*, died on 7 October at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 81. His family confirmed his death. The series, which began in 1987, recast the familiar fairy tale as a story set partly in a hidden community beneath New York City.
Starring Linda Hamilton as an assistant district attorney and Ron Perlman as Vincent, a noble, beast-like figure, the show ran for three seasons, ending in 1990. It brought Koslow three Emmy nominations: for drama series in 1988 and 1989, and for writing in a drama series in 1988. The programme later provided the basis for a CW adaptation that ran from 2012 to 2016. George R.R. Martin, Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa were among the writers and producers on the original series.
Koslow also worked in film. His screenplays included *Lifeguard* (1976), starring Sam Elliott; *Firstborn* (1984), with Teri Garr and Peter Weller; and *Into the Night* (1985), directed by John Landis and starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. His television credits included creating the short-lived ABC drama *My Life and Times*, co-creating the Fox fantasy series *Roar* with Shaun Cassidy, and co-creating CBS’s *Moonlight* with Trevor Munson. He was also an executive producer on *Birds of Prey*.
Born in St Louis on 9 April 1945, Koslow grew up between Missouri and Los Angeles. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA film school, then earned a law degree from Loyola University and joined the California Bar. His family remembered him for his imagination, care for those close to him and stories concerned with love, human connection and other worlds. He is survived by his sister Judy, brother-in-law Stefan and nieces Jenna and Lily; his parents and brothers Bobby and Ken died before him.
Where outlets differ
The Hollywood Reporter account gives a detailed history of the original series, its Emmy nomination years, production context and Koslow’s film and television credits. The Variety account foregrounds his legal training and career change into screenwriting, and adds that his parents and brothers predeceased him.
The reports describe the series’ premise in slightly different ways: one stresses its underground New York setting and principal characters, while the other characterises the reimagining through themes of compassion, humanity and appearance. They also give different levels of detail about the family’s tribute and his survivors.