LOS ANGELES — Glen A. Larson, the writer and producer behind well-loved TV series such as the original “Battlestar Galactica,” “Knight Rider,” “Magnum, P.I.” and “Quincy, M.E.,” has died. He was 77.

Larson died at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center on Friday night of complications from esophageal cancer, his son, James Larson, said Saturday.

Glen Larson, also an accomplished singer and composer, was a powerhouse in the television landscape in the 1970s and 1980s, when he churned out hits that became staples in millions of living rooms every night.

He also co-composed the theme songs for some of his hits, including the frequently sampled tune from “Knight Rider” and the orchestral music behind “Battlestar Galactica,” his son said.

Glen Larson was nominated three times for an Emmy, once for a Grammy for the original score of “Battlestar Galactica,” and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.

A list of nearly four dozen TV credits also includes “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries,” “B.J. and the Bear,” “The Fall Guy” and the TV movie “The Six Million Dollar Man.”