‘SNL’ and ‘Dragnet’ Alum Dead at 82: RIP to Craig Kellem

Original Saturday Night Live producer Craig Kellem has died. He was 82 years old.

A representative confirmed his passing. The Hollywood Reporter notes he died Nov. 24 at an assisted living facility in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, which his daughter confirmed to the outlet. The father-daughter-duo were partners in Hollywoodscript.com, a boutique script-consultation company he founded in 1998.

Kellem was a producer on the first season of the late night sketch comedy series. He also produced ​​reboots of The Munsters, Dragnet and Adam-12.

The Munsters Today ran for three years and starred John Schuck as Herman Munster and Lee Meriwether as his wife, Lily. The New and The New Adam-12 both aired for two seasons, from 1989-91 and 1990-91, respectively.

A Philadelphia native, his father was a popular bandleader, songwriter, restaurateur, and orchestra conductor for network radio programs. His mother was a model and a weather girl for local TV stations. He got the Hollywood bug honestly.

He began his career as an assistant at a talent agency, then became an agent with Creative Management Associates where he worked as a junior agent in the late 1960s. Speaking of his producing gig on SNL, he admits it was a chaotic start of the now iconic series.

“We almost didn’t get on the air because dress rehearsal went so poorly,” Kellem said in James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ 2002 book, Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. “I remember Lorne seriously asking the network people — or having me ask them — to have a movie ready to go, just in case. And I don’t think he was kidding.” 

Prior to SNL, he worked on the Sammy Davis Jr. syndicated talk show, and on NBC’s The Gladys Knight & the Pips Show. Other tenure includes his work as a vp comedy development at Universal Television.He and his daughter wrote the 2018 book Get It on the Page: Top Script Consultants Show You How. Kellem leaves behind his wife, Vivienne; son Sean; another daughter, Joelle; a brother; four grandchildren; and a niece and nephews. The family is asking that donations in his memory be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.