Aaron Spelling Productions

Aaron Spelling Productions, Hollywood, named Art Frankel vice president of business and legal affairs.

You admire the tenacity. Aaron Spelling's new series, "Savannah," proves that he hasn't given up his ambition to be the Ed Wood Jr. of television. Wood, the eager B-movie meister of the 1950s who was lovingly reprised in the movie "Ed Wood," was said to be so inept that his hapless pictures (the likes of "Plan 9 From Outer Space," "Glen or Glenda," "The Sinister Urge" and "Bride of the Monster") could not be encountered without laughing.

It should come as no surprise that Aaron Spelling Productions is making its first foray into daytime soap opera, with a proposed serial for ABC called "The Women's Group." The company's prime-time soap "Dynasty," after all, was the top-rated series of the 1984-85 season, and Spelling himself co-produced the recently released Paramount film "Soapdish," a sendup of the soaps.

Sara Davidson, creator of ABC's medical series "HeartBeat," has been removed from her role as co-producer but will remain on the staff next season as a creative consultant, The Times has learned. Davidson said that her recent removal as a co-producer by Aaron Spelling Productions came as a surprise, adding that she "wasn't given any explanation" for it. Ilene Chaiken, vice president of creative affairs for Aaron Spelling Productions, declined to explain the change.

Spelling, the president and executive producer of Aaron Spelling Productions, received cash compensation of $25.89 million in the year ended July 31, 1986, according to a proxy statement mailed to shareholders. In addition, the company paid $311,500 last year to a company owned by Spelling's wife Candy. Her company held a 50% interest in the profits of a wardrobe design company that supplies costumes to Spelling-produced TV shows, but dissolved its partnership with the wardrobe designer on Feb.

Cincinnati financier Carl H. Lindner and his company, American Financial Corp., said Wednesday that they have bought 5.9% of the outstanding Class A common stock of Aaron Spelling Productions, which counts "Dynasty" and "Hotel" among its television hits. Lindner and American Financial said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that they bought 475,000 Class A common shares of Los Angeles-based Spelling as an investment.

Sara Davidson, creator of ABC's medical series "HeartBeat," has been removed from her role as co-producer but will remain on the staff next season as a creative consultant, The Times has learned. Davidson said that her recent removal as a co-producer by Aaron Spelling Productions came as a surprise, adding that she "wasn't given any explanation" for it. Ilene Chaiken, vice president of creative affairs for Aaron Spelling Productions, declined to explain the change.

Tony Shepherd has been named vice president-talent for Aaron Spelling Productions. Shepherd previously was director of talent.

Stock performance by publicly-held entertainment firms: De Laurentiis Ent. Group, initial sale, May 30, 1986 $12/share De Laurentiis, Sept. 18, 1987 $5.12/share Aaron Spelling Productions, initial sale, Aug. 1, 1986 $14/share Aaron Spelling, Sept. 18, 1987 $9/share Dick Clark Productions, initial sale, Jan. 7, 1987 $6.50/share Dick Clark, Sept. 18, 1987 $4.38/share Source: Business of Film Magazine Highest-rated sports broadcasts (by sport): Football: Super Bowl XVI, 1982 (CBS) 49.