Glen Larson dies from esophageal cancer aged 77

Knight Rider creator Glen Larson has died at the age of 77.

The prolific TV writer and producer was also responsible for a string of action-packed hits, including Magnum PI, Quincy ME and Battlestar Galactica.

Knight Rider‘s David Hasselhoff paid tribute on Twitter, saying: “[He] had seven TV series at one time! Without him there’d be no KITT & Michael.”

Glen Larson died of esophageal cancer at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center on November 14.

Also an accomplished singer and composer, Glen Larson co-wrote the theme songs for many of his shows, including the frequently sampled tune from Knight Rider and the orchestral score for Battlestar Galactica.

He was nominated three times for an Emmy, once for a Grammy (for Battlestar Galactica), and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.

Glen Larson was born on January3 1937, to a Swedish immigrant mother and a Swedish-American father in Long Beach, California.

His entertainment career started in the 1950s, when he was a member of the all-male quartet the Four Preps.

Where he would make a lasting mark, however, was in television in the 1960s, working on The Fugitive, Alias Smith and Jones and The Six Million Dollar Man.

By 1968, Glen Larson had worked his way up to an associate producer on the series It Takes A Thief and quickly rose through the ranks to produce some of the biggest TV shows of the time.

At one point, Glen Larson had five shows airing at once, his son said.

Glen Larson leaves behind his wife, Jeannie Pledger, his brother, and nine children from two different marriages.