Biography
Dean Hargrove is an American television writer, producer and director. Born on 27 July 1938 in Iola, Kansas, he was educated at St John's Military School, Wichita State University and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. He began his career as a staff writer on the 1961–62 The Bob Newhart Show, for which he received an Emmy nomination.
Hargrove wrote for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and joined Universal Television, where he contributed scripts to series including It Takes a Thief and The Name of the Game. He wrote the teleplay for the second Columbo pilot, Ransom for a Dead Man (1972), and served as producer on the series during its second, third and fourth seasons. He later created and produced Matlock (1986–1995) and worked on McCloud, Perry Mason television films and Diagnosis: Murder.
Hargrove won a Primetime Emmy Award for Columbo in 1974 and received further nominations for his producing and writing work. He frequently collaborated with producer Fred Silverman and writer Joel Steiger on mystery series.
