Don Balluck; Actor, Playwright and TV Writer

Don Balluck, 70, actor, playwright and television writer for such durable series as “Little House on the Prairie” and “Father Murphy.” Born in Cleveland, Balluck began his career acting there and moved to New York in 1956 and to Los Angeles four years later to pursue writing. His first teleplay, an episode of “Dr. Kildare” starring Richard Chamberlain, was broadcast in 1964. Balluck went on to write episodes of “Run for Your Life” and “Daniel Boone,” then became executive story editor for “High Chaparral.” He wrote episodes of the 1970s series “Room 222,” “The Rookies,” “Streets of San Francisco,” “Starsky and Hutch,” “Baretta,” “Police Woman” and “Hawaii Five-0” and was co-creator of “Here’s Boomer.” With producer and actor Michael Landon, Balluck worked as executive story consultant and wrote for “Little House on the Prairie” and its spinoff, starring Merlin Olsen, “Father Murphy.” More recently, Balluck was executive story supervisor for “Fantasy Island” and “Hell Town” and wrote for “Magnum, P.I.” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Adept at westerns as well as police drama, Balluck was an active member of the Western Writers of America. He earned its Golden Spur Award for a 1982 episode of “Father Murphy” titled “Knights of the White Camelia.” Balluck rarely ventured into motion pictures but did script the 1969 western “Four Rode Out” starring “Bonanza” television veteran Pernell Roberts. On Friday in Burbank of lung cancer and emphysema.