David Paulsen

David Paulsen had a fruitful career bringing to life some of the most memorable evening soap operas on the 1970s and 1980s, including "Dynasty," "Knots Landing" and "Dallas." He began his career in 1966 with his lone acting role, as Roday in Paul Bogart's TV adaptation of Anton Chekov's play, "The Three Sisters." Paulsen then turned to writing in the mid to late 1970s, penning and producing a couple of horror movies, "Savage Weekend," and "Schizoid," before delving into television with his first show, "Chicago Story." He went on to write for "Knots Landing" and "Dallas." After writing over 50 episodes of these two dramas, Paulsen became a producer on the shows, and then began to direct episodes himself. This was also the case for "Dynasty," which he didn't get involved in until the show was nearing the end of its run in 1988. All three of these shows helped define the 1980s with their luxury and excess. In 1992 Paulsen wrote, produced, and directed the short-lived drama series "Dangerous Curves," before he retired.