Gary Nardino; TV Executive Behind ‘Taxi,’ ‘Happy Days’

Gary Nardino, the former president of Paramount Television behind such hit series as “Happy Days” and “Taxi” and the producer of the movie “Star Trek III,” has died. He was 62.

Nardino was also head of Orion Television Entertainment, where he supervised such series as “Equal Justice.” He died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of complications of a stroke he suffered Jan. 22.

As head of Paramount Television from 1977 to 1983, Nardino set the standard for industry series and miniseries. In addition to “Happy Days” and “Taxi,” he oversaw production of “Laverne & Shirley,” “Mork & Mindy,” “Family Ties,” “Webster” and the landmark “Cheers.”

In the 1982-83 season alone, Paramount Television produced 11 prime-time weekly series.

Nardino was also responsible for the Emmy-winning miniseries “Shogun,” “Golda” and “Winds of War.”

He headed his own Gary Nardino Productions for Paramount in the mid-1980s, making such series as “Brothers” for Showtime cable network and “Marblehead Manor” and “Hard Knocks” for NBC. “Brothers” earned him the 1986 Cable Ace Award for outstanding series and three consecutive gold medals from the International Film and Television Festival of New York.

In 1988, he was named chairman and chief executive officer of Orion, where he supervised production of the TV series “Equal Justice,” “Hearts Are Wild,” “Lifestories,” “American Detective” and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures.”

Most recently, he served as co-president of North Hall Productions, which produces USA Network’s “Pacific Blue” series.

On the big screen, Nardino produced “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” in 1984 and “Jetsons: The Movie” in 1990.

Born in Garfield, N.J., Nardino earned a business degree from Seton Hall University and served as a first lieutenant in the Army.

He began his career as an agent and served as senior vice president of two major firms, the William Morris Agency and International Creative Management.

In 1983, Nardino was named man of the year by the Los Angeles chapter of the adoption group WAIF for his longtime commitment to promoting children’s adoption. He also earned the B’nai B’rith Torch of Liberty award.

A former president of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, Nardino in 1985 received the Television Showmanship Award from the Publicists Guild of America.

He is survived by three children, Caroline, Gary and Teresa; his father, Louis; and two sisters, Theresa Sodaro and Angela Stafford.

A memorial service is being planned for Feb. 11. The family has requested that any memorial donations be sent to the General Scholarship Fund of Seton Hall University.