Ready for a new challenge, Dunne left his development job at Aaron
Spelling Productions to become the head of development for Lorimar
Productions. There he developed several projects that included Eight Is
Enough, Helter Skelter, and Sybil, for which he won an Emmy. In addition to
development, Dunne often filled the role of writer and/or producer as well.
He spent three seasons as a writer and producer on the mega-hit series Knot's
Landing, followed by nearly two years as supervising producer for Dallas.
Another mentor early in Dunne's career was David Jacobs, "especially
in the writing field, when I started working with him on Knot's Landing.
He was very generous. He gave me room to write and let me make mis-
takes. He framed and put on my wall scenes that could never be shot--
they were just too impractical--that he knew I loved, so I would always
appreciate them."
In the late 1990s, Dunne
wrote and produced Nowhere
Man, starring Bruce Green-
wood. "It was one of the most
fun projects for me as a pro-
ducer and writer. I did the pilot
here in town and then shot the
series in Portland. We didn't
have any stages. That's what
made it interesting. We shot on
the streets every day, whether it
rained or snowed; no matter
how hot it was. It was like
doing a film every day."
For a time, Dunne reunited
with Spelling to serve as
supervising producer on
Melrose Place, and later to write
an episode for the series. Then
it was off to New Zealand to
work on the pilot of the ABC
series McKenna. In 2001, he
worked on the series That's
Life, starring Ellen Burstyn and
Paul Sorvino, and is currently
about to launch a series that he
wrote and will produce.
In addition to Spelling and Jacobs, Dunne states that he has found
many mentors in the business: "guys in craft services, ladies in casting,
grips on high; everybody has taught me something and they still do."
"Show business,
probably more than any
other business, is terri-
bly cruel. You're only as
good as your currency
today. It doesn't matter if you have a lot of
great credits; it really doesn't. It just matters
if you have a good idea today. I think the
thing you have to keep in mind is that your
life can't be about this business; as much
as I love it, and as kind as it's been to me
(and ugly at times), I can't judge myself
as a success or failure in life based on the
business. I have to keep other interests:
writing, art, family. You have to stay cen-
tered as a person, and then success will
come."--Peter Dunne
"You have to be passionate and really
love the art of filmmaking; then you'll have
fun doing it. That's the bottom line of
whether you're a success: if you've actually
smiled during the day and you feel good
about your work."--Peter Dunne
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