Spelling dies at 83

A belated farewell to Aaron Spelling, who passed away Friday due to complications from a stroke. As a writer and producer, Spelling worked on lots of hit shows, so many that practically everyone has seen at least one Spelling production. They were not exactly the smartest shows — people didn’t watch Charlie’s Angels or The Love Boat for the scintillating dialogue — but the melodramatic plots and cheesy acting could be strangely addictive. (Two of my guilty pleasures used to be Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place.) Thanks to DVDs and syndication (and the five-month-old Soapnet.com channel), Spelling’s shows will live on after him.