Alan Sacks dead at 81: Welcome Back, Kotter co-creator passes away ‘peacefully’ after lymphoma battle

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Oh, Alan Sacks, the man who brought the vibrant energy of Brooklyn to the small screen, has left us at the tender age of 81. As an ardent fan of Welcome Back, Kotter and all things 70s-80s pop culture, I can’t help but feel a pang in my heart upon hearing this news.

Alan Sacks passed away ‘peacefully’ at the age of 81 on Tuesday morning after a battle with cancer.

In his hometown of New York City, the man who jointly created “Welcome Back, Kotter” and was recognized for his work on numerous Disney Channel productions, passed away due to issues related to lymphoma.

22 years back, he was initially identified as having mantle cell lymphoma. After that, he experienced a period of remission lasting several years, but unfortunately, the cancer returned.

In the past few weeks, his mantle cell lymphoma has become more aggressive, as stated by his wife, talent agent Annette van Duren, according to Deadline. This suggests that the disease has worsened and is now progressing rapidly.

‘She mentioned that he was going to dance at our daughter’s wedding in June and give her away, as well as perform the father-daughter dance.’ Additionally, ‘Following this, the chemotherapy treatments ceased being successful.’

She said Sacks started hospice care last week prior to his death.

In her statement, she mentioned that he passed away, surrounded by the melodies of Tibetan tunes during his last few days and nights, at the age of 81.

This film and TV producer gained recognition for his role in creating the hit 1970s series “Welcome Back, Kotter” and for involvement in various productions that depicted the LA punk culture of the 1980s.

He was born in Brooklyn and started his career in the research department of ABC Television before moving to Los Angeles. 

He continued working at ABC as a program executive and went on to help develop and co-create Welcome Back, Kotter along with Gabe Kaplan and Peter Meyerson. 

The popular television show was modeled after the experiences he shared with his old friends from Brooklyn during their high school years, along with Kaplan’s comedy act, where he played the role of Mr. Kotter.

It was modeled after Kaplan’s account of his adolescent years at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, as detailed in Holes and Mello-Rolls.

The sitcom ran for four seasons starting in September 1975 until its last in June 1979. 

Back in the day, I was just as enamored with television as I am now, and let me tell you, there was nothing more exciting than when I got to work on Chico and the Man! But wait, it gets even better – in 1991, I took my creative passion and brought Riders in the Sky to life! This fantastic children’s show took over the Saturday morning slot previously held by Pee-Wee Herman on CBS. It was a dream come true for me, and I still can’t believe what an impact it had!

In the ’70s and ’80s, I had the privilege of following the work of Sacks, who created TV films such as “Women at West Point,” the biographical story of Rosemary Clooney titled “Rosie,” and “A Cry for Love.

In the ’80s, I was deeply involved in a project centered around The Runaways. Unfortunately, the project failed to launch. However, instead of letting the footage gather dust, I repurposed it, weaving it into a fresh narrative.

In 1984, he directed and launched the movie titled “Du-Beat-e-o,” which centers around a filmmaker under pressure to complete a project based on the rock band member, Joan Jett, from the group Runaways.

The movie took place amidst the intense punk culture of Los Angeles, and it starred Ray Sharkey and Derf Scratch from the punk group Fear.

Sacks also penned and produced the 1986 skateboarding film Thrashin’. 

In the film, it was Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler, and Pamela Gidley who took on the leading roles. Moreover, this movie marked the debut of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they showcased their music for the very first time on screen.

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2024-10-24 06:03