Frederick King Keller, a veteran TV director and producer known for his work on hits like Blue Bloods, 24, and CSI: Miami, has passed away.
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Keller died peacefully on Jan. 26 in Los Angeles after suffering a “catastrophic brain injury,” his family confirmed. He was 75.
Keller’s career spanned four decades and included film, TV, and theater. Per IMDb, in 1981, he wrote and directed an adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s 1975 novel, Tuck Everlasting. A more well-known film version was later directed by Jay Russell in 2002.
After making several other films, Keller’s directing career shifted to television in the ’90s. His credits include the Nickelodeon favorite Hey Dude, as well as Swift Justice, Nash Bridges, New York Undercover, The Pretender, Roswell, Angel, Boomtown, Las Vegas, 24, CSI: Miami, House, Numb3rs, Justified, and Blue Bloods, among others.
Keller served as a producer, executive producer, or supervising producer on projects including 24 episodes of The Pretender, Boomtown, and 17 episodes of Blue Bloods. He also produced the 2017 documentary King Cohen, which explores the work of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen.
Frederick King Keller Directed Nickelodeon’s First Sitcom
Born on April 18, 1950, in Buffalo, New York, Keller was the son of Frederick A. Keller, an actor and writer, and Dr. Joyce Keller, a speech therapist.
While studying for his Bachelor of Arts in English at Hamilton College, Keller worked with Nat Boxer, a trusted technician of Francis Ford Coppola. During this time, Keller directed several short films. This includes A Winter’s Tale, which was screened at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.
After graduating, Keller directed several short dramatic films. He also developed and directed Skeleton Key, a feature-length film for local television, which led to his version of Tuck Everlasting.
In 1989, Keller began his extensive TV career by directing half the episodes of Nickelodeon’s first sitcom, Hey Dude, filmed in Tucson, Arizona.
Keller directed operas like Amahl and the Night Visitors and Dialogues of the Carmelites, along with stage productions across Canada, New York, and Los Angeles. He also returned to Buffalo to direct mid-winter mystery plays at Studio Arena Theatre.
Keller is survived by Elizabeth, his wife of nearly 50 years.