William Link

In his four-and-a-half-hour interview, William Link (1933-2020) talks about his early years, and coming to television with his writing partner Richard Levinson at the tail end of the era of classic anthology series. He discusses writing for Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Four Star Theater, and eventually Four Star Productions, which led to them writing for the Aaron Spelling-created Johnny Ringo. He recounts writing for several series, including The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Fugitive, Mannix, and Michael Shayne. He details creating, writing, and producing the classic detective series Columbo starring Peter Falk, and describes the plotting of the show, as well as the guest stars, directors (including a very young Steven Spielberg), and “Columbo’s” trademarks including his raincoat, cigars, unseen wife and “Just one more thing” catchphrase. He chronicles writing several acclaimed and culturally important television movies with Richard Levinson, including That Certain Summer, The Execution of Private Slovik, and The Storyteller. He concludes with his induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1995. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on August 23, 2002 in Beverly Hills, CA.