Michael Sloan , the television writer and producer who co-created TV series “ The Equalizer ” with Richard Lindheim, died Wednesday in New York City. He was 78.

Born in New York City in 1946, Sloan was exposed to the entertainment industry from an early age. His grandfather, Fred Stone, was a vaudeville performer known for playing the Scarecrow in the 1902 Broadway production of “The Wizard of Oz.” His parents Paula Stone and Michael Sloane were Broadway stage producers, mounting numerous plays throughout the 1940s and 50s.

Sloan moved to England where he wrote and produced his first three films: a 1972 short titled “Hunted” and two features titled “Assassin” and “Moments,” released in 1973 and 1974, respectively. In 1976, he wrote an episode of “Columbo” for Universal Television. The

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