Bruce Geller

Bruce Geller was a multi-talented artist who worked on countless television programs from the 1950s through the '80s, functioning variously as a writer, director, producer, and even a composer. New York City native Geller began as a writer for such shows as "Rock King, Detective" and "Flash Gordon" during the early '50s. By the '60s, Geller had expanded his resume considerably, creating TV's legendary spy program "Mission: Impossible" (on which he served as writer, producer, and composer). The original version of the show ran from 1966 through 1973, and earned Geller two Emmy Awards in addition to several other Emmy nominations. Geller also produced the enormously popular detective show "Mannix" in the same era, and made one foray into the world of motion pictures, producing and directing the 1973 film "Harry in Your Pocket." Sadly, Geller's career would be cut short: he died in 1978 at the age of 47, when the Cessna plane that he was piloting crashed near Santa Barbara.