Nicholas J. Corea
Encyclopedia
Nicholas "Nick" J. Corea (April 7, 1943–January 17, 1999) was an American author, television writer, director, producer and painter. Through best known for his work on The Incredible Hulk and the sequel 1988 television movie The Incredible Hulk Returns
, he was involved with many television series during the late 1970s and 1980s including The Oregon Trail
, Airwolf
, Street Hawk
, Hard Time on Planet Earth
and Booker
. He was also the creator of the 1986 science fiction series Outlaws
.
Prior to his death in 1999, Corea wrote episodes for Renegade
, M.A.N.T.I.S.
, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
and Star Trek
-series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
and Star Trek: Voyager
. He was also a one-time writer and creative consultant
for Walker, Texas Ranger
.
. He enlisted in the United States Marines during the Vietnam War
, was awarded the Purple Heart
and reached the rank of sergeant before being honorably discharged. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his hometown to join the University City, Missouri
Police Department. While in the military, he was an active contributor to Stars and Stripes
and later wrote the police novel A Cleaner Breed in 1974.
Following the success of his first book, Corea entered the television industry as a writer and producer. His first scripts were for police dramas Police Woman
(1974), Baa Baa Black Sheep
(1976) and Kingston: Confidential
(1977). His first regular writing job was for western series The Oregon Trail
. However, he found his first major success as writer, director and producer of The Incredible Hulk from 1978 to 1981.
After the series' end, he wrote and directed the 1981 television movie The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire. The movie was intended to be a pilot for a regular television series and, although broadcast on NBC
, it was better received outside the United States where it "received some theatrical exposure" under the title The Archer and the Sorceress.
He was also the supervising producer for Gavilian and a writer for The Renegades
(1983), Airwolf
(1984) and Street Hawk
(1985). He was also the writer and executive producer for J.O.E. and the Colonel, another television movie, in 1985. A year later, he wrote, produced and directed a short-lived western-themed science fiction series, Outlaws
, in 1986. The pilot proved popular with viewers, being one of the most watched shows the week it aired, however ratings quickly dwindled as poor promotion and its placement in the Saturday night "graveyard" slot
led to its eventual cancellation by CBS
at the end of its first season. Two of its stars, Rod Taylor and Charles Napier
, had been cast members of The Oregon Trail and the final episode featured clips from that show as part of a "flashback" episode of how the characters first met.
In 1988, Corea wrote, directed and produced the television movie The Incredible Hulk Returns
as a follow-up the original Incredible Hulk series. He then wrote episodes for Hard Time on Planet Earth
and Booker
during 1989 and, in 1992, he wrote the television movie Mario and the Mob.
From 1992 to 1993, Corea was a writer and executive producer for Renegade
and later wrote episodes for M.A.N.T.I.S.
in 1994, and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
and High Sierra Search and Rescue during 1995. He also wrote and directed several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
and Star Trek: Voyager
. One of his last television projects was as a one-time writer and creative consultant for Walker, Texas Ranger
. He died of cancer in Burbank, California
on January 17, 1999.
Shortly before his death, Corea wrote an episode for Walker, Texas Ranger entitled "Brothers in Arms" which was to feature longtime friend actor Grand L. Bush
as a guest star. Bush portrayed Simon Trivette, an estranged brother of James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard
), and is considered one of the most memorable episodes in the series. Bush and his wife, journalist Sharon Crews, later watched the episode privately with Corea's widow when it was finally broadcast.
Nick Corea was also an avid painter whose works include Blue Baby.
The Incredible Hulk Returns
The Incredible Hulk Returns is a 1988 TV movie loosely based on the Marvel comic books that serves as a continuation of the popular television series. In it, Dr. David Banner has nearly cured himself from being the Hulk...
, he was involved with many television series during the late 1970s and 1980s including The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail (TV series)
The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children...
, Airwolf
Airwolf
Airwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
, Street Hawk
Street Hawk
Street Hawk is an American television series that aired for 13 episodes on ABC in 1985. The series was a Limekiln and Templar Production in association with Universal Television. Its central characters were created by Paul M. Belous and Robert "Bob" Wolterstorff, and its core format was developed...
, Hard Time on Planet Earth
Hard Time on Planet Earth
Hard Time on Planet Earth is a short-lived American science fiction series that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in 1989. Airing for 13 episodes, the series starred Martin Kove and was created by Jim and John Thomas....
and Booker
Booker (TV series)
Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series was a spin-off of 21 Jump Street...
. He was also the creator of the 1986 science fiction series Outlaws
Outlaws (1986 TV series)
Outlaws is a short-lived action-adventure American television series which aired Saturday nights on CBS. The original series began as a 2-hour pilot movie, and was followed by eleven one-hour episodes.- Origins :...
.
Prior to his death in 1999, Corea wrote episodes for Renegade
Renegade (TV series)
Renegade is an American television series that ran for 110 episodes spanning 5 seasons between September 19, 1992 and April 4, 1997.The series stars Lorenzo Lamas as Reno Raines, a police officer who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. Raines goes on the run and joins forces with Native...
, M.A.N.T.I.S.
M.A.N.T.I.S.
M.A.N.T.I.S. is an American Science fiction television series that aired for one season on the Fox Network between August 1994 and March 1995. The original two-hour pilot was produced by Sam Raimi and developed by Sam Hamm. It stars actor Carl Lumbly. The show is unique in that it depicts an...
, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
-series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
and Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
. He was also a one-time writer and creative consultant
Creative consultant
Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head...
for Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
.
Biography
Nicholas Corea was born and raised in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He enlisted in the United States Marines during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, was awarded the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
and reached the rank of sergeant before being honorably discharged. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his hometown to join the University City, Missouri
University City, Missouri
University City is an inner-ring suburb in St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 35,371 in 2010 census. The city was shaped by Washington University in St. Louis, whose campus abuts the city to the southeast....
Police Department. While in the military, he was an active contributor to Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
and later wrote the police novel A Cleaner Breed in 1974.
Following the success of his first book, Corea entered the television industry as a writer and producer. His first scripts were for police dramas Police Woman
Police Woman (TV series)
Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:...
(1974), Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep may refer to:* Baa, Baa, Black Sheep , the origin of the phrase* Baa Baa, Black Sheep , an 1888 short story by Rudyard Kipling...
(1976) and Kingston: Confidential
Kingston: Confidential
Kingston: Confidential is an American mystery crime drama that aired on NBC for 13 episodes during the spring of 1977, following the success of a 1976 made-for-TV movie entitled Kingston.-Synopsis:...
(1977). His first regular writing job was for western series The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail (TV series)
The Oregon Trail is a 14-episode NBC western television series starring Rod Taylor as the widower Evan Thorpe, who leaves his Illinois farm in 1842 to take the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest. The show also starred Andrew Stevens, Tony Becker, and Gina Marie Smika as Thorpe's children...
. However, he found his first major success as writer, director and producer of The Incredible Hulk from 1978 to 1981.
After the series' end, he wrote and directed the 1981 television movie The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire. The movie was intended to be a pilot for a regular television series and, although broadcast on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, it was better received outside the United States where it "received some theatrical exposure" under the title The Archer and the Sorceress.
He was also the supervising producer for Gavilian and a writer for The Renegades
The Renegades
The Renegades was a short-lived ABC TV show from 1982 about a gang that is given the option of going to jail for their crimes or becoming a special police undercover unit. The star of The Renegades, and leader of the gang, was The Bandit played by Patrick Swayze. The gang's police handler is...
(1983), Airwolf
Airwolf
Airwolf is an American television series that ran from 1984 until 1987. The program centers on a high-tech military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme....
(1984) and Street Hawk
Street Hawk
Street Hawk is an American television series that aired for 13 episodes on ABC in 1985. The series was a Limekiln and Templar Production in association with Universal Television. Its central characters were created by Paul M. Belous and Robert "Bob" Wolterstorff, and its core format was developed...
(1985). He was also the writer and executive producer for J.O.E. and the Colonel, another television movie, in 1985. A year later, he wrote, produced and directed a short-lived western-themed science fiction series, Outlaws
Outlaws (1986 TV series)
Outlaws is a short-lived action-adventure American television series which aired Saturday nights on CBS. The original series began as a 2-hour pilot movie, and was followed by eleven one-hour episodes.- Origins :...
, in 1986. The pilot proved popular with viewers, being one of the most watched shows the week it aired, however ratings quickly dwindled as poor promotion and its placement in the Saturday night "graveyard" slot
Graveyard slot
A graveyard slot is a time period in which a television audience is very small compared to other times of the day, and therefore broadcast programming is considered far less important. Graveyard slots are usually in the early morning hours of each day, when most people are asleep...
led to its eventual cancellation by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
at the end of its first season. Two of its stars, Rod Taylor and Charles Napier
Charles Napier (actor)
Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:...
, had been cast members of The Oregon Trail and the final episode featured clips from that show as part of a "flashback" episode of how the characters first met.
In 1988, Corea wrote, directed and produced the television movie The Incredible Hulk Returns
The Incredible Hulk Returns
The Incredible Hulk Returns is a 1988 TV movie loosely based on the Marvel comic books that serves as a continuation of the popular television series. In it, Dr. David Banner has nearly cured himself from being the Hulk...
as a follow-up the original Incredible Hulk series. He then wrote episodes for Hard Time on Planet Earth
Hard Time on Planet Earth
Hard Time on Planet Earth is a short-lived American science fiction series that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in 1989. Airing for 13 episodes, the series starred Martin Kove and was created by Jim and John Thomas....
and Booker
Booker (TV series)
Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series was a spin-off of 21 Jump Street...
during 1989 and, in 1992, he wrote the television movie Mario and the Mob.
From 1992 to 1993, Corea was a writer and executive producer for Renegade
Renegade (TV series)
Renegade is an American television series that ran for 110 episodes spanning 5 seasons between September 19, 1992 and April 4, 1997.The series stars Lorenzo Lamas as Reno Raines, a police officer who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. Raines goes on the run and joins forces with Native...
and later wrote episodes for M.A.N.T.I.S.
M.A.N.T.I.S.
M.A.N.T.I.S. is an American Science fiction television series that aired for one season on the Fox Network between August 1994 and March 1995. The original two-hour pilot was produced by Sam Raimi and developed by Sam Hamm. It stars actor Carl Lumbly. The show is unique in that it depicts an...
in 1994, and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
and High Sierra Search and Rescue during 1995. He also wrote and directed several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
and Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
. One of his last television projects was as a one-time writer and creative consultant for Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
. He died of cancer in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
on January 17, 1999.
Shortly before his death, Corea wrote an episode for Walker, Texas Ranger entitled "Brothers in Arms" which was to feature longtime friend actor Grand L. Bush
Grand L. Bush
Grand Lee Bush is an American actor of stage, television and major motion pictures.-Personal life:Bush was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Essie and Robert Bush, who was an actor...
as a guest star. Bush portrayed Simon Trivette, an estranged brother of James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard
Clarence Gilyard
Clarence Darnell Gilyard, Jr. is a former American actor and a current college professor who has been featured in movies and television since 1980. He is sometimes credited as Clarence A...
), and is considered one of the most memorable episodes in the series. Bush and his wife, journalist Sharon Crews, later watched the episode privately with Corea's widow when it was finally broadcast.
Nick Corea was also an avid painter whose works include Blue Baby.