Stephen J. Cannell, Creator of Awesome TV Shows, Dead at 69 7.35K Brian Moylan 10/01/10 03:39PM Filed to: and now he's dead and now he's dead Stephen j cannell Television 21 Jump Street The a-team Defamer Gettypic tweet Fb Stephen J. Cannell, creator and producer of The A-Team, The Rockford Files, 21 Jump Street, Wiseguy and The Greatest American Hero, died yesterday from complications due to melanoma. His legacy will live on in syndication and DVD. He was 69.