Irv Wilson, a former programming government at NBC and producer of a number of excessive profile TV films that starred Jerry Lewis, Martin Sheen, Telly Savalas, Bruce Dern and Morgan Freeman, died December 26 after a brief sickness. He was 93.
His dying was confirmed by his longtime good friend, Tom Nunan, who paid tribute to Wilson on Facebook by writing, “Wilson loved life, and anyone who became close to him knew that a good glass of red wine, a little weed, [his wife’s] cooking, and a Giants game came pretty close to heaven for the well-loved, culturally complex maven.”
Born in New York City, Wilson served within the Korean warfare earlier than returning to the Big Apple to attend NYU by way of the G.I. Bill. He would go on to spend his profession within the leisure business, first as a expertise agent and producer, then as a TV programming government for NBC the place he oversaw the TV film division and later, daytime and late evening programming. He labored alongside Fred Silverman and Brandon Tartikoff and helped to find future filmmakers equivalent to Ron Howard whereas supporting gifted playwrights like Stanley Greenberg.
After his community government life, Wilson returned to producing work beneath offers at Fries Entertainment and Viacom, the place he made a number of excessive profile TV films.
He could also be finest identified for government producing The Missiles of October, an ABC made-for-TV play from 1974 concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis that starred William Devane as President John F. Kennedy and Martin Sheen as Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Nunan says his good friend was additionally happy with his 1980 TV film FDR: The Last Year for NBC that starred Jason Robards.
Wilson was a lifelong Giants fan, even after their transfer to San Francisco. He was additionally a information and knowledge junkie and appreciated to spend a lot of his retirement debating politics.
“He will be missed by many, but remembered by all who met him as simply a wonderful guy, a true character who always managed to get you to pick up lunch,” Nunan mentioned on Facebook. “As he’d put it himself, he was King of the ‘Schnorrers.’ Look it up. It’s Yiddish, the language of giants.”
Wilson is survived by Anne Carlucci, his spouse of 46 years who was additionally a prolific TV film producer; and his daughters Amy, Julie, and Kate.