Manny Coto, renowned producer of ’24’ and ‘Dexter,’ passes away at the age of 62

July 10 (UPI) — Manny Coto, a highly accomplished television producer, passed away at the age of 62. His family confirmed that he had been battling pancreatic cancer for the past 13 months. Both Variety and Deadline reported on his death and his contributions to the television industry, including shows like “24” and “American Horror Story.”

Coto’s career in television kicked off when he worked as a writer for anthologies such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “Tales from the Crypt.” He even had the opportunity to showcase his directing skills on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” In the ’90s, he earned his first producing credit on the revival of “The Outer Limits.”

One of the highlights of Coto’s career was his involvement in the groundbreaking show “24.” He joined the show during its fifth season as a writer and eventually became a producer. “24” was known for its unique storytelling technique of portraying events in real-time, with each episode representing one hour of a dramatic day.

Coto continued to make his mark in the television industry with the spinoff “24: Legacy,” where he was credited as the creator. The show followed a new generation of CTU agents working to tackle a different crisis each day.

In addition to “24,” Coto also took on the role of producer for Seasons 5-8 of “Dexter” after Clyde Phillips departed. Although he didn’t take part in the show’s recent revival, “Dexter: New Blood,” Phillips returned as showrunner.

More recently, Coto served as a producer for multiple seasons of “American Horror Story” and its spinoff “American Horror Stories.” His contributions to the horror genre extended beyond television, as he co-wrote and directed the film “Dr. Giggles” and wrote and directed the family film “Star Kid.” Additionally, he took on the role of showrunner for the prequel series “Star Trek: Enterprise,” where he initially started as a writer.

Coto’s brother, Juan Carlos Coto, is also a writer and producer who has worked on shows like “24,” “Heroes,” “9-1-1,” and served as showrunner for “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series.”

Juan Carlos fondly remembered his experiences working with his brother on Super-8 films. In a heartfelt tweet, he expressed how Manny Coto served as his inspiration and guiding light, both in his craft and in life.