Biography
Don Brinkley (born Donald Alan Brinkley) was an American television writer, producer and director. Born on 9 March 1921 in the Bronx, New York City, he died on 14 July 2012 in Sag Harbor, New York.
After the Second World War he worked as a staff writer at WGN Radio and chief writer at CBS Radio in Chicago. He moved to Southern California in 1950 and wrote more than 400 teleplays for series including The Fugitive (five episodes, 1965–66), Have Gun – Will Travel, Rawhide, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ironside, The Invaders and Mannix.
Brinkley created Trapper John, M.D. (1979–86) and co-created and produced Medical Center (1969–76), writing numerous episodes for both. He also wrote the novel A Lively Form of Death (1996) and the play Prisoner of Justice (1998). He was honoured by the Museum of Broadcasting with career retrospectives in Los Angeles and New York.
