‘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 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 to 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.