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William Theodore Link

ウィリアム・リンク

William Link

Aliases: William O. Link / Bill Link
Pen Names: Ted Leighton（Pseudonym used jointly by William Link and Richard Levinson on some telefilms and story credits）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1933-12-15 （Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States）
Died
2020-12-27 （Los Angeles, California, United States） age 87
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Philadelphia (birthplace) → Los Angeles (residence and primary workplace)

Career

Occupations
Screenwriter, Producer
Active Years
1954-2020
Memberships
Mystery Writers of America (member; served as president in 2002)
Influenced By
Richard Levinson (collaborator and co-writer), Agatha Christie (inspiration for Jessica Fletcher's Miss Marple–like qualities)
Influenced
Subsequent television mystery writers, The crafting of long-running mystery series for television

Education

University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
Wharton School
Period: 1952-1956
Year of Graduation: 1956
Country: United States
Earned a degree from the Wharton School before serving in the United States Army (1956–1958).

Awards

Primetime Emmy Award (Writing)
1970
Work: My Sweet Charlie
Category: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama
Organization: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Primetime Emmy Awards)
Result: Won
Primetime Emmy Award (Writing)
1972
Work: Columbo: "Death Lends a Hand"
Category: Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama
Organization: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Primetime Emmy Awards)
Result: Won
Edgar Award (Television)
1980
Work: Murder by Natural Causes
Category: Best Television Feature or Miniseries
Organization: Mystery Writers of America (Edgar Awards)
Result: Won
Edgar Award (Television)
1983
Work: Rehearsal for Murder
Category: Best Television Feature or Miniseries
Organization: Mystery Writers of America (Edgar Awards)
Result: Won
Edgar Award (Television)
1986
Work: Guilty Conscience
Category: Best Television Feature or Miniseries
Organization: Mystery Writers of America (Edgar Awards)
Result: Won
Writers Guild of America Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement
1986
Category: Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement
Organization: Writers Guild of America
Result: Won
Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame (Television Programs)
1999
Work: That Certain Summer
Category: PGA Hall of Fame – Television Programs
Organization: Producers Guild of America
Result: Won

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Columbo

1969 Television mystery drama

A television series using an inverted-detective (howcatchem) format where the crime and culprit are shown up front. Created by William Link and Richard Levinson, featuring the unassuming but cunning Lieutenant Columbo.

Inverted mystery (howcatchem)Character-driven investigationUnease in everyday life
Adaptations
  • [Television series] Columbo (various TV movies and series runs) (1969)

Murder, She Wrote

1984 Television mystery drama

Long-running series about Jessica Fletcher, a mystery novelist and amateur sleuth. Link co-created the series (with Peter S. Fischer among others).

Amateur sleuthSmall-town human dynamicsAgatha Christie–style puzzle mysteries

The Hindenburg

1975 Feature film (historical/disaster)

Feature film dramatizing the 1937 Hindenburg airship disaster; Link was among the credited writers.

Historical disasterTechnology and human drama

Rollercoaster

1977 Feature film (thriller)

A thriller about sabotage at an amusement park; Link was a co-writer on the film.

Sabotage and terrorismSuspense

Bibliography

  • Stay Tuned: An Inside Look at the Making of Prime-Time Television (William Link & Richard Levinson, 1983)
  • The Columbo Collection by William Link (2010)

Adaptations

  • Columbo: multiple TV movie runs and long-running series
  • Murder, She Wrote: long-running television series

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Plot-focused scripts often using inverted (howcatchem) structureDialogue-driven development emphasizing character traitsPractical, robust screenwriting tailored for television
Recurring Motifs
Unassuming but sharp detective figures (e.g., Columbo)Corruption or crime revealed through everyday settingsClever logical puzzles and plot reversals

Health

  • Heart failure
    2020
    Died of heart failure on December 27, 2020

Legacy

William Link was a major contributor to television mystery writing and production; in collaboration with Richard Levinson he created landmark shows such as Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. His character work and use of inverted mysteries influenced the conventions of TV mystery drama.

Museums

  • William Link Theatre California State University, Long Beach campus, Long Beach, California, United States Opened in 2008

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of America (served as president)

Archives

  • Materials and donated plays/records held in association with California State University, Long Beach (related holdings)

In Popular Culture

  • Columbo and Murder, She Wrote have been broadcast worldwide for decades and remain reference points in the mystery-television genre.

Trivia

  • Discovered late in life (around 2011) that his paternal grandparents were Jewish, based on family research found in a suitcase.
  • With Richard Levinson he co-created many television series including Columbo, Mannix, Ellery Queen and Murder, She Wrote.
  • Used the pseudonym 'Ted Leighton' on occasion (shared with Levinson).
  • Served as president of the Mystery Writers of America in 2002.
  • The William Link Theatre at California State University, Long Beach is named in his honor.