The entertainment world is mourning the loss of legendary TV and film producer Alan Sacks. The Welcome Back, Kotter co-creator died on Tuesday in New York of complications from lymphoma at 81, according to Variety. Born in Brooklyn, Sacks began his career in the research department at ABC Television, later moving to Los Angeles to continue working at the network as a program executive.
In 1975, Sacks developed and co-created Welcome Back, Kotter with Gabe Kaplan and Peter Meyerson, which ran for four seasons, ending in 1978. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Sacks produced TV movies such as Break Up, Best Friends, Women at West Point, Leave ‘em Laughing, Jealousy, Thrashin’, and A Cry for Love, as well as series Chico and the Man.
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Beginning in 1999, Sacks shifted his focus to Disney, serving as executive producer on Disney Channel Original Movies such as Smart House, The Color of Friendship, The Other Me, You Wish!, Pixel Perfect, Camp Rock, and Camp Rock 2. He also produced 2009’s Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, which chronicled the brothers on their 2008 “Burning Up” Tour, and even worked at the Jonas Brothers company. Along with executive producing 2004 DCOM Pixel Perfect, Sacks also wrote the story.
Speaking of writing, producing is not all that Alan Sacks had done throughout his career. With Paul Brown, he wrote the 1986 action drama Thrashin’, starring Josh Brolin, Pamela Gidley, and Brook McCarter. Two years before, Sacks worked on a project about L.A. band The Runaways that just didn’t happen. He instead incorporated the footage into the film Du-Beat-e-o, which is about a director working on a tight deadline to finish a movie. It starred Ray Sharkey and Derf Scratch.
Additionally, Sacks wrote, directed, and co-produced Off-Broadway production Lenny Bruce (In His Own Words). He also taught film, TV, and broadcasting at Los Angeles Valley College until his retirement in 2007 while he was at Disney Channel. Sacks’ final project was the podcast series Peter and the Acid King, which is about the unsolved murder of his friend and New Wave Theatre host Peter Ivers in 1984.
Sacks is survived by his wife, talent agent Annette van Duren; daughters Samantha Sacks and Shannon Sacks; his son, Austin; and a sister, Jodi. All four seasons of Welcome Back, Kotter released on DVD for the first time back in June.
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