Ted Mann, the Emmy-winning television writer and producer known for his work on Deadwood and NYPD Blue, passed away on September 4 in Los Angeles at the age of 72. His daughter, Elizabeth, confirmed that he died after a battle with lung cancer.
Born in Canada, Mann began his career as an editor for National Lampoon in the 1970s. He soon transitioned into television, writing for the TV special Disco Beer from Outer Space and the short-lived Delta House, a spinoff of Animal House. In the 1980s, he wrote the screenplay for O.C. and Stiggs, a film directed by Robert Altman based on his National Lampoon characters. Mann also contributed to various crime dramas, writing episodes for The Street, Wiseguy, and Miami Vice. He further expanded his career in the 1990s, writing for the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters and penning the 1996 film Space Truckers.
Mann’s major television career breakthrough came in 1993 when he joined NYPD Blue as a writer-producer. His work earned him two Emmy nominations for the first season, and he later contributed to the show’s second season, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. After leing as a producer, Mann returned to write additional episodes for the series.
In 2004, Mann reunited with Did Milch to write for HBO’s Deadwood, where he later took on the role of producer. The series won a WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series during Mann’s tenure. He also worked with Milch on John from Cincinnati and served as a co-executive producer on Crash for Starz.
Mann’s extensive career included writing and producing for several other shows such as Millennium, Brooklyn South, and Hatfields and McCoys. He is survived by his wife, Bly, and their three children, as well as his siblings and grandchildren.