Editing Robert Urich (section)

==Career==
After appearing in a Chicago production of ''[[The Rainmaker (play)|The Rainmaker]]'' with [[Burt Reynolds]], Urich decided to pursue acting full-time after Reynolds encouraged him to move to Los Angeles, and do more acting.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/versatile-engaging-robert-urich-mourned-article-1.486556| title=Versatile, Engaging Robert Urich Mourned| last=Huff| first=Richard| date=April 17, 2002| newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]| access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref>

===1970s–1980s===
[[File:Robert Urich Maureen Reagan and Jack Hogan.jpg|right|thumb|Urich, [[Maureen Reagan]], and [[Jack Hogan]] pose for a publicity photo for the TV series ''The Specialists'', 1974]]

Urich made his television debut in a guest starring role in ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'', in 1972. The following year, he won a lead role in ''[[Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (TV series)|Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice]]''. It was a television adaptation of the [[Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice|1969 film of the same title]]. It struggled in the ratings and was canceled after six episodes. He made his film debut later that same year opposite [[Clint Eastwood]] in the Dirty Harry film ''[[Magnum Force]]'' playing a vigilante motorcycle-patrol police officer. In 1975, Urich was cast in the action/crime drama series ''[[S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]''. According to the executive producer [[Aaron Spelling]], [[Burt Reynolds]] convinced Spelling to allow Urich to read for the part. Spelling was impressed with his reading and cast him in the role of "Officer Jim Street".<ref>{{cite book| last1=Spelling| first1=Aaron| last2=Graham| first2=Jefferson| title=Aaron Spelling: A Prime-Time Life| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IzKcIV1UufoC&q=Urich| year=1996| publisher=St. Martin's Press| isbn=978-0312313449| page=86}}</ref> A [[mid-season replacement]], it earned high enough ratings to warrant a second season. However, it was canceled in 1976 due to its violent content.<ref>{{cite book| last=McNab| first=Chris| title=Deadly Force: Firearms and American Law Enforcement, from the Wild West to the Streets of Today| year=2009| publisher=Osprey Publishing| isbn=978-1-846-03376-6| page=[https://archive.org/details/deadlyforcefirea0000mcna/page/126 126]| url=https://archive.org/details/deadlyforcefirea0000mcna/page/126}}</ref>

Urich's next role was on the sitcom ''[[Soap (TV series)|Soap]]'' as Peter the Tennis Player in 1977. That same year he was cast as Paul Thurston, a handsome, ego-driven talk show host in the ''[[Bewitched]]'' spin-off series ''[[Tabitha (TV series)|Tabitha]]'', starring [[Lisa Hartman Black|Lisa Hartman]]. Its ratings were initially strong, but schedule changes caused ratings to drop, and the show was canceled in 1978 after 13 episodes.<ref>{{cite book| last=Leszczak| first=Bob| title=Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LaUqwWnpHLwC&q=tabitha| year=2012| publisher=McFarland| isbn=978-0786493050| page=178}}</ref> Shortly after, he was cast in another Aaron Spelling produced series, called ''[[Vegas (1978 TV series)|Vega$]]''. Urich portrayed the series' lead character, Dan Tanna, a private detective who solves various crimes in [[Las Vegas]]. ''Vega$'' was a hit for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and he received two [[Golden Globe Award]] nominations for his work on it. By the third season, ratings had started to decline, and with little network support, ''Vega$'' was canceled at the end of the third season in June, 1981. Shortly after, Urich signed with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM) and focused on film roles. His first film for MGM was ''[[Endangered Species (1982 film)|Endangered Species]]'' (1982), a science fiction film directed by [[Alan Rudolph]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eu9DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1403,3390998&dq=robert+urich+vegas+canceled&hl=en| title=Snubbing TV Offers...Robert Urich Wants Movies Only| last=Scott| first=Vernon| date=February 19, 1982| work=The Durant Daily Democrat| agency=[[United Press International]]| page=7| access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref>

After filming ''Endangered Species'', Urich returned to television and starred in ''[[Gavilan (TV series)|Gavilan]]''. He played the title character who was a former [[CIA]] agent turned [[Oceanography|oceanographer]]. The series, however, was canceled after seven episodes. In 1984, he starred in two more films ''[[The Ice Pirates]]'', and [[Wes Craven]]'s ''[[Invitation to Hell (1984 film)|Invitation to Hell]]''. In 1985, Urich co-starred in the film ''[[Turk 182]]'', although it was not a commercial success. In 1985, Urich returned to episodic television as the title character in ''[[Spenser: For Hire]]''. It was a hit and aired for three seasons. He also reprised the role in several television films after it was canceled: ''Spenser: Ceremony'' (1993), ''Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes'' (1994), ''Spenser: The Judas Goat'' (1994), and ''Spenser: A Savage Place'' (1995). In 1988, he hosted the documentary series ''[[National Geographic Explorer]]''. He won a [[CableACE Award]] for his work on the series. In 1989, he portrayed Jake Spoon in the acclaimed television miniseries ''[[Lonesome Dove (miniseries)|Lonesome Dove]]'', a role for which he received many positive reviews.

===1990s–2000s===
In the 1990s, Urich mainly appeared in television films and several short-lived television series. From 1990 to 1991, he starred in the sitcom ''[[American Dreamer (TV series)|American Dreamer]]'' and the TV movie ''83 Hours 'Til Dawn''. The following year, he starred in ''[[Crossroads (1992 TV series)|Crossroads]]'', a drama series that aired on ABC for ten episodes. In 1993, he and [[Faye Dunaway]] starred in the sitcom ''[[It Had to Be You (TV series)|It Had to Be You]]''. It was critically panned and canceled after four episodes. In 1995, he narrated an extremely rare one-night showing of a Disney television documentary called ''Alien Encounters: From New Tomorrowland''. It has never been shown again. In 1996, he starred in the [[TNT (U.S. TV network)|TNT]] western series ''[[The Lazarus Man]]''. It earned strong enough ratings to be picked up for a second season but shortly after it was renewed, he announced he had been diagnosed with [[synovial sarcoma]]. Its production company, [[Castle Rock Entertainment]], opted to cancel it due to that.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Tim |author2=Marsh, Earle F. |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present |publisher=Ballantine Books |date=June 24, 2009 |edition=9| page=776| isbn=978-0307483201 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&q=Urich}}</ref> In 1999, he commented on their choice to do so, "There's really a law against what they did. They found out I had cancer, and they just canceled the show. They didn't ask the doctors if I could work. They didn't ask if I could go back to work."<ref name="pittsburgh">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0ulRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6620,690350&dq=robert+urich+love+boat&hl=en|title=Second Chances|last=Thomas|first=George M.|date=November 3, 1999|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> In 2000, he sued them for [[breach of contract]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LplXAAAAIBAJ&pg=6232,1807875&dq=lazarus+man+robert+urich&hl=en| title=Urich suing over 'Lazarus Man'| date=April 14, 2000| work=The Spokesman-Review| location=Spokane, Wash| page=D2| access-date=January 2, 2013}}</ref> The lawsuit was later settled with both parties agreeing not to publicly disclose the terms.<ref name="portsmouth">{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eqVFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5651,2674233&dq=robert+urich+cancer&hl=en| title=Actor Robert Urich dies from cancer at age 55| last=Elber| first=Lynn| date=April 18, 2002| work=Portsmouth Daily Times| page=B5| access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> While undergoing cancer treatments, Urich hosted the medical documentary series ''Vital Signs'' in 1997 and the [[PBS]] series ''Boatworks''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FcAiAAAAIBAJ&pg=6088,4140444&dq=robert+urich+emeril&hl=en| title=Actor Robert Urich, star of 14 TV series, died at age 55| last=Bark| first=Ed| date=April 17, 2002| work=[[Beaver County Times]]| page=D3| access-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> After a year of treatment, he was declared cancer-free and returned to television in 1998 as Captain Jim Kennedy III in ''[[Love Boat: The Next Wave]]''. It aired on [[UPN]] for two seasons. In 2000, he made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in the musical ''[[Chicago (musical)|Chicago]]'' and also starred in the North American tour of the musical, in 1999 and in 2000.<ref>{{cite news| last=O'Haire| first=Patricia| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/nydn-features/chicago-urich-kind-show-article-1.862516| title='Chicago' Is Urich's Kind Of Show| newspaper=New York Daily News| date=January 11, 2000| access-date=May 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Jones| first=Kenneth| url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/49016-Lewis-Urich-and-Visitor-are-New-Trio-in-Chicago-Tour-in-Detroit-Nov-16-28| title=Lewis, Urich and Visitor are New Trio in 'Chicago' Tour, in Detroit, Nov. 16–28| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019125058/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/49016-Lewis-Urich-and-Visitor-are-New-Trio-in-Chicago-Tour-in-Detroit-Nov-16-28| archive-date=October 19, 2012| journal=[[Playbill]]| date=November 16, 1999}}</ref><ref>Dillard, Sandra C. (October 17, 1999). "ALL JAZZED UP Robert Urich is keen on dancing in 'Chicago'", ''[[The Denver Post]]'', p. H1</ref><ref>Jones, Kenneth (October 5, 2000). [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/55833-New-Tour-of-Chicago-Begins-Oct-6-7-in-CT-Chita-Will-Join-Troupe New Tour of Chicago Begins Oct. 6–7 in CT; Chita Will Join Troupe"] ''Playbill''. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019125147/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/55833-New-Tour-of-Chicago-Begins-Oct-6-7-in-CT-Chita-Will-Join-Troupe |date=October 19, 2012}}.</ref> The next year, he costarred in ''Emeril'', a sitcom starring celebrity chef [[Emeril Lagasse]]. While it was critically panned, he received good notices for his work on it. It would be his last role in a television series. Urich's final television film, ''Night of the Wolf'', aired on [[Animal Planet]] the night before his death.<ref name="portsmouth" />