ABC’s Stoddard dies aged 77

Former president of ABC Entertainment and a key figure in the history of miniseries, Brian Stoddard has died at the age of 77.

Stoddard, who had reportedly been suffering from cancer, helmed ABC Entertainment for nearly five years from 1985 and helped to bring series including Roots, North & South and The Winds of War to air.

He had joined ABC in 1970 as director of daytime and was also a key figure behind shows including Schoolhouse Rock, The Wonder Years and Twin Peaks.

Stoddard went on to become president of ABC Productions, the US broadcaster’s first in-house production outfit, and worked on My So-Called Life for MTV before moving into teaching at the USC School for Cinema & Television.

Bob Iger, Disney’s chairman and CEO, described Stoddard as “a true maverick who was instrumental in transforming primetime television.”