E. Duke Vincent

As a young TV producer, E. Duke Vincent could not have hitched his wagon to a more loyal and beneficial mentor than Aaron Spelling. Together, the pair created, conceived, and ran one hit show after another. In the '90s, Vincent was a critical factor on both "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place," while in the following decade, he focused his hands-on energies mostly on "Charmed" and "7th Heaven." And, of course, in the '80s, it was all about big hair and big catfights via "Dynasty," its spinoff "The Colbys," and the separate Spelling vehicle "Hotel." In many other ways, too, Vincent has led a charmed life since returning to the United States from active military duty. He married a beautiful actress, Pamela Hensley, and won a pair of Emmy Awards for two other Spelling collaborations: the 1989 CBS-TV historical drama "Day One," about the development of the atom bomb, and the '93 HBO AIDS-themed TV movie, "And the Band Played On," starring Matthew Modine and Alan Alda.