Sam Strangis Dead: ‘CSI’ Producer Was 95
Sam Strangis, the director, producer and production manager behind shows like “CSI,” “The Brady Bunch” and “Happy Days,” died of kidney failure on July 23 at Providence Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, California. a family spokesperson confirmed. He was 95.
Strangis began his career as a script supervisor at Revue Studios before directing several episodes of “The Restless Gun,” which ran from 1957 to 1959. He then served as production manager for the 1966 film “Batman: The Movie” and later moved to head of production at Paramount Studios.
At Paramount, Strangis oversaw such television programs as “The Odd Couple,” “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Love,” “American Style” and “Mannix.”
Strangis, along with his production partner Don Boyle, eventually left Paramount to work for Universal Studios on the iconic series “Six Million Dollar Man.” He subsequently produced a number of television films before resuming his tenure at Paramount as vice president of television production.
Strangis later founded an independent production company known as Ten-Four Productions. Ten-Four Productions focused primarily on TV films such as ‘Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story’, ‘Rainbow Warrior’ and ‘Rainbow’, which portrayed the life of Judy Garland.
Strangis capped his five-decade career as a producer on “CSI” and “CSI: Miami,” two of the network’s most successful television series. He was nominated as part of the “CSI” production team for the Primetime Dramatic Series Emmy, the Golden Globe and the Producer Guild of America Norman Felton Award.
Strangis is survived by his wife Bonnie, daughter Debi, sons Gary and Greg, sisters Judy and Cindy, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Services in his memory were held on August 22 at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Brentwood, California.
