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Not to be confused with the Scottish actor who appeared in The Sting (1973) and Jaws (1975), Robert J. Shaw was a television writer who penned episodes for soap operas and nighttime dramas. He learned his craft at the University of Wisconsin where he studied under such literary luminaries as Wallace Stegner and Sinclair Lewis. He sold his first concept for a radio program, Front Page Farrell, to NBC in 1940. He subsequently went on to work on such popular radio dramas as Stella Dallas, Search for Tomorrow, and Portia Faces Life. With Robert Montgomery Presents, Shaw launched his television writing career. Shaw moved from Los Angeles to Manhattan in the early '60s to work on shows like Hawaiian Eye and Peyton Place. During the '80s, Shaw was a story editor on Dallas, where he was responsible for the "Who Shot J.R.?" story line and General Hospital. During his career, Shaw earned seven Emmys.