Biography
Donald P. Bellisario is an American television producer and screenwriter. Born on 8 August 1935 in Cokeburg, Pennsylvania, he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959, reaching the rank of sergeant. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Pennsylvania State University in 1961 and worked for fifteen years in advertising before moving to Hollywood.
Bellisario began his television career as a writer on series including Kojak (1973). He went on to create or co-create Magnum, P.I. (1980), Airwolf (1984), Quantum Leap (1989), JAG (1995) and NCIS (2003). His shows frequently feature military veterans as characters, drawing on his own service experience. He has also written and produced episodes of Battlestar Galactica (1978) and directed the feature film Last Rites (1988).
