'Equalizer' co-creator Michael Sloan dies at 78 in New York City

Michael Sloan, the acclaimed television writer and producer who co-created the original The Equalizer series, died on Wednesday in New York City. He was 78.

Born in New York City in 1946, Sloan was immersed in the entertainment world from a young age. His grandfather, Fred Stone, was a vaudeville actor best known for playing the Scarecrow in the 1902 Broadway production of The Wizard of Oz. His parents, Paula Stone and Michael Sloane, were also prominent Broadway producers during the mid-20th century.

Sloan began his career in the U.K., where he wrote and produced his first three films: the 1972 short Hunted and the features Assassin and Moments in the early 1970s. He gained critical attention in 1976 after penning “Now You See Him,” a widely praised fifth-season episode of Columbo—the only episode in the series' history written by a freelancer.

Upon returning to the U.S., Sloan joined Universal Television, contributing to popular series such as McCloud, Quincy, M.E., Battlestar Galactica, and The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries. His work on Quincy, M.E. earned him an Emmy nomination.

In the 1980s, while working with MTM Studios, Sloan returned to Universal to co-create The Equalizer with Richard Lindheim. The original series, starring Edward Woodward, debuted on CBS in 1985 and ran for four seasons. Sloan later produced all three of Columbia Pictures’ Equalizer films starring Denzel Washington (2014–2023), and served as an executive producer on CBS’s 2021 reboot featuring Queen Latifah, which concluded after five seasons in May.

Beyond television, Sloan wrote and produced several made-for-TV films, including adaptations of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Six Million Dollar Man. He also authored The Equalizer novel series and a memoir, One More Thing, Sir…, chronicling his Hollywood career.

Sloan is survived by his wife of 35 years, Melissa; their children, Piper and Griffin; and his sister, Judy. In his memory, donations can be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.