Ron Koslow, the writer and producer who recast the classic fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” as a romantic CBS drama set beneath New York City, died Oct. 7 at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 81. His family confirmed the death to Variety. The news surfaced nearly two weeks later, on Oct. 19.
Koslow’s 1987 series starred Linda Hamilton as an assistant district attorney and Ron Perlman as Vincent, a noble man-beast who lives in a hidden world under the city. The show broke from the fairy tale’s ending. Vincent never turns into a conventional ideal of handsome; his inner beauty stays the point, and Catherine’s life changes instead. The format earned Koslow three Emmy nominations: one for writing in a drama series in 1988, plus drama series nominations in 1988 and 1989. The CW’s later adaptation drew on his original.
Koslow reached television by an unusual route. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA’s film school, then earned a law degree from Loyola University. The St. Louis native began in features, writing the 1976 film “Lifeguard,” and later wrote “Firstborn” and “Into the Night.”
His later series ran shorter but kept his taste for fantasy. He created the ABC drama “My Life and Times,” co-created the Fox series “Roar” with Shaun Cassidy, and co-created CBS’s vampire drama “Moonlight” with Trevor Munson. He also served as an executive producer on Warner Bros.’ “Birds of Prey” series.
His family said his work explored “the transformative power of love” and the possibilities of worlds beyond ours. The description fits the series that defined him, where a romance between two people from opposite sides of the city carried the weight of the story. Koslow is survived by his sister, brother-in-law and two nieces. His parents, Sammye and Dave, and his brothers, Bobby and Ken, died before him.
