self-contained stories, evolved into a serial, leading into the '80s trend of prime time soap operas. While Katzman headed Dallas''' writing staff from the show's second season, he remained producer, with Philip Capice serving as executive producer. The creative conflicts between Capice and Katzman eventually led to Katzman stepping down from his production duties on the show for season nine, instead being billed as "creative consultant" (during this time he also worked on the short-lived drama series Our Family Honor). However, increased production costs and decreasing ratings caused production company Lorimar—along with series star Larry Hagman (J. R. Ewing)—to ask Katzman to return to the show in his old capacity. Katzman agreed, reportedly under the condition that he would have "total authority" on the show, and as of the tenth season premiere he was promoted to executive producer, and Capice was let go. Katzman remained as executive producer on Dallas until the series finale in May 1991. Besides his production work, he also wrote and directed more episodes of the series than anyone else. After Dallas Following "Dallas", Katzman went on to create the short-lived crime drama Dangerous Curves (1992-1993), which aired as a part of CBS' late-night drama block Crimetime After Primetime, and serve as executive producer for the second season of the action drama Walker, Texas Ranger (1994-1995). His last work was the 1996 "Dallas" reunion movie J.R. Returns, which he also wrote and directed. Personal life and death Katzman fathered his first child, Gary Katzman, with Eileen Leener (1929-2019). Katzman did not raise his first child and left his mother when he was 4 years old. The child was eventually adopted and took the surname Klein. Through Gary Klein, Katzman is the biological grandfather of Ethan Klein of the Israeli-American YouTube comedy channel h3h3Productions. Leonard Katzman and his wife LaRue had three children. His daughter, actress Sherril Lynn Rettino (1956-1995), predeceased her father by one year. She played the recurring character Jackie Dugan on Dallas from 1979-91. His sons Mitchell Wayne Katzman and Frank Katzman, as well as son-in-law John Rettino, all worked on the production of Dallas' later seasons. Both sons were also involved in the production of Dangerous Curves; Walker, Texas Ranger; and J. R. Returns. Katzman died of a heart attack in Malibu, California on September 5, 1996, three days after his 69th birthday, and more than two months prior to the airing of