Larry Elikann

Larry Elikann left the Army Signal Corps as a staff sergeant in 1946 and became a technical director at NBC from 1948 to 1964, serving as a member of the board of governors for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963. He moved into commercial directing for the next six years with VPI-TV in New York, Filmex TV, and Plus Two TV. He began to branch out from commercials in the 1970s, directing 18 episodes of the popular "ABC Afterschool Specials" throughout the decade. That sort of wholesome subject matter landed him a gig helming two episodes of the hopeful Lance Kerwin star-maker "James at 16" in 1978. He graduated to more adult-themed TV in the 1980s with directorial work on some of the era's biggest shows, including "Dallas," "T.J. Hooker," and "Remington Steele." After working on the night-time soaps like "Falcon Crest" and its spinoff, "Knots Landing," in 1986, Elikann focused his attention strictly on made-for-TV features for the 11 remaining years of his career. In addition to his TV work, he was a member of both the National Historic Preservation Society and the Smithsonian Institution.