John Sacret Young obit

John Sacret Young Dies: Writer-Producer Behind ‘China Beach’, ‘The West Wing’ And Netflix’s ‘Firefly Lane’ Was 75

 He was not on the list.

John Sacret Young, a writer, producer, director and author who worked on such series as China Beach, The West Wing and Firefly Lane, has died . He was 75.

A spokesperson for his family said Young died June 3 in L.A.’s Brentwood area after a 10-month battle with brain cancer.

Born on May 24, 1946, Young began his work in TV as a researcher-turned-writer on 1970s NBC anthology series Police Story. He later adapted Philip Caputo’s A Rumor of War into a CBS miniseries, earning his first Writers Guild Award.

For his work as the co-creator, executive producer and showrunner of ABC’s Vietnam War chronicle, China Beach, which examined the experiences of American combat nurses, Young was honored with five Emmy nominations, as well as four WGA noms, claiming the WGA Award for Episodic Drama for the 1990 episode “Souvenirs,” which he also directed. During its four-season run, the series also won numerous other awards, including a Peabody, a People’s Choice Award and a Golden Globe. On China Beach, Young mentored many young writers, directors, producers and crew members, taking pride in particular in elevating women’s careers behind the camera.

After his time with China Beach, Young worked on projects including Keys, VR.5, Orleans, Thanks of a Grateful Nation, Sirens, King of the World, Level 9, and The West Wing. For his contributions to the latter drama from Aaron Sorkin, as a writer and producer, he was met with two more nominations from the Television Academy and the Writer’s Guild. His most recent series was Netflix’s Firefly Lane, which he wrote and co-produced for Netflix.

On the film side, Young wrote and produced the Academy Award-nominated Testament, starring Jane Alexander and Kevin Costner, as well as the 1989 drama, Romero. As an author, he is remembered for his memoir Remains: Non-Viewable, a Los Angeles Times bestseller centered on his cousin Doug’s death in Vietnam in 1969. His other works in this domain include 1982 novel The Weather Tomorrow and art world memoir Pieces of Glass – An Artoir, as well as numerous introductions and essays for publications, including the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. His final book, Pieces of Tinsel, about his experiences in Hollywood will be published posthumously next year.

Young was also a Visiting Professor at Princeton University and Claremont McKenna College, frequently lecturing at USC, UC Santa Barbara and the Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton Presidential Libraries. He served on the boards of the Firestone Library at Princeton, the Humanities Prize, the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Writers Guild Foundation.

Young is survived by his wife, Claudia Sloan; his brother, Mason and his wife, Beth Gragg; his sister-in-law, Denise; his children Jacy Levine, Jake Young and Julia Young-Cruise, and their mother Jeannette Penick; his son Riley Young, and his mother Colleen McCormick; his children’s spouses, Josh Levine, Liz Wimberly-Young and Daisy Young-Cruise; his grandchildren, Evie Levine, Zora Levine and Archie Young, and many of the writers he mentored over the years.

Producer

Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, Roan Curtis, and Ali Skovbye in Firefly Lane (2021)

Firefly Lane

7.7

TV Series

co-executive producer

2021

10 episodes

 

Rob Lowe, Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Moira Kelly, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, and Bradley Whitford in The West Wing (1999)

The West Wing

8.9

TV Series

supervising producer

consulting producer

2003–2005

44 episodes

 

Marlo Thomas and Vondie Curtis-Hall in Deceit (2004)

Deceit

4.6

TV Movie

executive producer

2004

 

James Spader in The Pentagon Papers (2003)

The Pentagon Papers

6.5

TV Movie

consulting producer

2003

 

Level 9 (2000)

Level 9

6.6

TV Series

executive producer

2000

 

Terrence Howard in King of the World (2000)

King of the World

5.7

TV Movie

executive producer

2000

 

Keith Carradine and Dana Delany in Sirens (1999)

Sirens

4.9

TV Movie

executive producer

1999

 

Bronx County (1998)

Bronx County

TV Movie

executive producer

1998

 

Texarkana

7.8

TV Movie

executive producer

1998

 

Last Defense

TV Movie

executive producer

1998

 

Thanks of a Grateful Nation (1998)

Thanks of a Grateful Nation

6.0

TV Movie

executive producer

1998

 

Larry Hagman, Michael Reilly Burke, Brett Cullen, and Colleen Flynn in Orleans (1997)

Orleans

7.7

TV Series

executive producer

producer

1997

 

VR.5 (1995)

VR.5

7.2

TV Series

producer

1995

 

Keys (1994)

Keys

5.7

TV Movie

executive producer: MOW

1994

 

Rio Shannon

5.6

TV Movie

executive producer

1993

 

John Rhys-Davies in Under Cover (1992)

Under Cover

5.6

TV Movie

executive producer

1992

 

Before the Storm (1991)

Before the Storm

6.9

TV Movie

executive producer

1991

 

China Beach (1988)

China Beach

8.2

TV Series

executive producer

1988–1991

62 episodes

 

A Promise to Keep (1990)

A Promise to Keep

6.5

TV Movie

executive producer

1990

 

Raul Julia in Romero (1989)

Romero

7.1

executive producer

1989

 

Police Story: Monster Manor (1988)

Police Story: Monster Manor

5.8

TV Movie

executive producer

1988

 

Ron Howard and Buddy Ebsen in Fire on the Mountain (1981)

Fire on the Mountain

6.3

TV Movie

producer

supervising producer

1981

 

Champions: A Love Story (1979)

Champions: A Love Story

7.3

TV Movie

producer

1979

 

Writer

Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, Roan Curtis, and Ali Skovbye in Firefly Lane (2021)

Firefly Lane

7.7

TV Series

written by

2021

1 episode

 

Dolly Parton in Dolly Parton's Heartstrings (2019)

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings

7.6

TV Series

teleplay by

television story by

2019

1 episode

 

Generations (2010)

Generations

6.1

Short

writer/director/producer

2010

 

Level 9 (2000)

Level 9

6.6

TV Series

Writer

2000–2008

2 episodes

 

Rob Lowe, Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Moira Kelly, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, and Bradley Whitford in The West Wing (1999)

The West Wing

8.9

TV Series

writer

story by

teleplay by ...

2004–2005

4 episodes

 

Marlo Thomas and Vondie Curtis-Hall in Deceit (2004)

Deceit

4.6

TV Movie

teleplay

2004

 

Terrence Howard in King of the World (2000)

King of the World

5.7

TV Movie

teleplay

2000

 

Keith Carradine and Dana Delany in Sirens (1999)

Sirens

4.9

TV Movie

written by

1999

 

Texarkana

7.8

TV Movie

Writer

1998

 

Thanks of a Grateful Nation (1998)

Thanks of a Grateful Nation

6.0

TV Movie

written by

1998

 

VR.5 (1995)

VR.5

7.2

TV Series

creator

written by

teleplay

1995–1997

13 episodes

 

Keys (1994)

Keys

5.7

TV Movie

written by

1994

 

China Beach (1988)

China Beach

8.2

TV Series

creator

story

teleplay ...

1988–1991

62 episodes

 

Raul Julia in Romero (1989)

Romero

7.1

written by

1989

 

Police Story: Monster Manor (1988)

Police Story: Monster Manor

5.8

TV Movie

written by

1988

 

Testament (1983)

Testament

6.9

screenplay

1983

 

Insight (1960)

Insight

7.6

TV Series

written by

1982

1 episode

 

Ron Howard and Buddy Ebsen in Fire on the Mountain (1981)

Fire on the Mountain

6.3

TV Movie

Writer

1981

 

A Rumor of War (1980)

A Rumor of War

6.6

TV Mini Series

teleplay

written by

1980

2 episodes

 

Champions: A Love Story (1979)

Champions: A Love Story

7.3

TV Movie

Writer

1979

 

Mare Winningham in Special Olympics (1978)

Special Olympics

7.1

TV Movie

Writer

1978

 

The Possessed (1977)

The Possessed

5.3

TV Movie

written by

1977

 

Robert Forster, David Birney, and Richard E. Kalk in Police Story (1973)

Police Story

7.5

TV Series

written by

1976–1977

3 episodes

 

Love Is Not Forever

TV Movie

story

teleplay

1974

 

Chandler (1971)

Chandler

4.4

screenplay by

1971

 

Director

Quarterlife (2007)

Quarterlife

6.4

TV Series

Director

2008

1 episode

 

Level 9 (2000)

Level 9

6.6

TV Series

Director

2000–2008

2 episodes

 

Marlo Thomas and Vondie Curtis-Hall in Deceit (2004)

Deceit

4.6

TV Movie

Director

2004

 

Terrence Howard in King of the World (2000)

King of the World

5.7

TV Movie

Director

2000

 

Keith Carradine and Dana Delany in Sirens (1999)

Sirens

4.9

TV Movie

Director

1999

 

VR.5 (1995)

VR.5

7.2

TV Series

Director

1995–1997

2 episodes

 

Larry Hagman, Michael Reilly Burke, Brett Cullen, and Colleen Flynn in Orleans (1997)

Orleans

7.7

TV Series

Director

1997

 

Keys (1994)

Keys

5.7

TV Movie

Director

1994

 

China Beach (1988)

China Beach

8.2

TV Series

Director

1988–1991

12 episodes

 

Helen Hunt, Tony Becker, Clark Brandon, Mariclare Costello, Bert Kramer, Sean Marshall, Jimmy McNichol, Michele Tobin, and Derek Wells in The Fitzpatricks (1977)

The Fitzpatricks

7.4

TV Series

Director (co-writer)

1977–1978

13 episodes