John Masius, the creator of “Touched by an Angel” and two-time Emmy-winning writer and producer for “St. Elsewhere,” died on Saturday at the age of 75.
Masius’ ex-wife Ellen Bry confirmed the “Touched by an Angel” creator’s passing, according to media reports. He died after a declining battle with ALS. On top of his work creating the hit CBS series and writing on “St. Elsewhere,” he also created “Hawthorne” and “Providence.”
He started his career as a TV writer in the 1980s working on CBS’ “The White Shadow.” Masius’ two Primetime Emmy Awards for writing on “St. Elsewhere” came in 1984 and 1986. He received 14 total nominations for his work on the series.
Masius created “Touched by an Angel” in 1994. The series ran for nine seasons but the creator eventually stepped away when CBS deemed his storylines “too dark” for the audience. The iconic series starred Roma Downey as a woman who conveyed messages of God to people in need.
After “Touched by an Angel,” Masius returned to medical dramas by creating the NBC series “Providence” which ran from 1999-2002. Most recently, the industry vet created the Jada Pinkett Smith medical drama “Hawthorne” for TNT. The series ran from 2009-2011.
His other credits include the “Ferris Bueller” TV series from the ’90s, Showtime’s “Dead Like Me,” and “L.A. Law.” Masius replaced “Dead Like Me” original showrunner Bryan Fuller after he left the show early in the first season following creative differences with MGM Television.
Alongside his multiple Emmy wins and nominations, Masius earned a number of Writers Guild Awards, Humanitas Prizes, a Peabody Award and a People’s Choice Award.
He is survived by his three children Hannah, Max, and Sam and his ex-wife Bry – who was married to Masius from 1986-1999 and played Shirley Daniels in “St. Elsewhere.”
More to come…
