William Link was an American film and television writer and producer who often worked in collaboration with Richard Levinson.
Link and Richard Levinson met on their first day of junior high school. Each had enjoyed doing magic tricks, and other students repeatedly mentioned to each of them that they should meet. They began writing together soon after. They sold their first short story, "Whistle While You Work", to
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
, which published it in the November 1954 issue.
They co-created and sometimes produced such TV series as
Columbo, Mannix, Ellery Queen,
and
Murder, She Wrote.
William Link was an American film and television writer and producer who often worked in collaboration with Richard Levinson.
Link and Richard Levinson met on their first day of junior high school. Each had enjoyed doing magic tricks, and other students repeatedly mentioned to each of them that they should meet. They began writing together soon after. They sold their first short story, "Whistle While You Work", to
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
, which published it in the November 1954 issue.
They co-created and sometimes produced such TV series as
Columbo, Mannix, Ellery Queen,
and
Murder, She Wrote.
Following the sudden death of Levinson in 1987, Link continued his writing and producing career in many media. In 1991, in tribute to Levinson, he wrote the script for the 1991 TV film
The Boys
, starring James Woods and John Lithgow. He was a frequent contributor to such mystery fiction publications as
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
and
Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
. His post-Levinson TV work included
The Cosby Mysteries
, and the short-lived science fiction/detective series
Probe
with Isaac Asimov in 1988.
William Link was inducted into the Television Academy
Hall of Fame
with his partner
Richard Levinson
in 1995.
Link died December 27, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. He was 87.