Barbara Hall (writer and producer)
Encyclopedia
Barbara Hall is an American
writer
and producer
of television
series. She is best known as the creator and producer of the series Joan of Arcadia
.
Hall was born in Chatham, Virginia
. She is the daughter of Ervis Hall and Flo Hall, and is the sister of Karen Hall
. She graduated from Chatham High School in 1978, and Summa Cum Laude from James Madison University
with a BA in English in 1982.
Shortly after graduation, Hall moved to Los Angeles, where she became a TV writer and producer. She has writing and producing credits for Northern Exposure
, Chicago Hope
and Judging Amy
. Among other recognitions, she has received the Humanitas Prize
for Television, the Television Critics Association
Award, the TV Guide
Award, and the Catholics in Media Award.
Hall is a singer-songwriter and founding member of the alternative country rock band The Enablers, who issued two CDs: The First Seven Songs (2003) and Come Back Soon (2004). Her solo debut CD, Handsome, came out in 2005. Hall's recordings have been featured on Chicago Hope and Joan of Arcadia.
Raised in a Methodist household, Hall passed through "a period of very loud, noisy rejection" of religion before converting to Roman Catholicism. She has said, "I went through every stage of a relationship with God from atheism
to who I am now."
Hall says she has "always been interested in metaphysics
and physics," and credits "science more than anything else" with her conversion. About Joan of Arcadia, she said, "My tag on the show is that it's about both physics and metaphysics, because you can't have one without the other." Physics also features prominently in her novel The Music Teacher.
Hall has written several novels:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series. She is best known as the creator and producer of the series Joan of Arcadia
Joan of Arcadia
Joan of Arcadia is an American television fantasy/family drama telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi , who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays, 8-9 p.m...
.
Hall was born in Chatham, Virginia
Chatham, Virginia
Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Chatham's population was 1,338 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chatham is home to Chatham High School and Hargrave Military Academy. It is also home to Chatham Hall , an...
. She is the daughter of Ervis Hall and Flo Hall, and is the sister of Karen Hall
Karen Hall
Karen L. Hall is an American television writer best known for her work on the television series Judging Amy and M*A*S*H.Hall was born in Chatham, Virginia. She is the daughter of Ervis Hall and Flo Hall, and is the sister of Barbara Hall. She graduated from Chatham High School in 1974 and from the...
. She graduated from Chatham High School in 1978, and Summa Cum Laude from James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
with a BA in English in 1982.
Shortly after graduation, Hall moved to Los Angeles, where she became a TV writer and producer. She has writing and producing credits for Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure is an American television series that ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995, with a total of 110 episodes.-Overview:The series was given a pair of consecutive Peabody Awards: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict[ion] in a comedic and often poetic way, [of] the cultural clash between a...
, Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
and Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
. Among other recognitions, she has received the Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
for Television, the Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
Award, the TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Award, and the Catholics in Media Award.
Hall is a singer-songwriter and founding member of the alternative country rock band The Enablers, who issued two CDs: The First Seven Songs (2003) and Come Back Soon (2004). Her solo debut CD, Handsome, came out in 2005. Hall's recordings have been featured on Chicago Hope and Joan of Arcadia.
Raised in a Methodist household, Hall passed through "a period of very loud, noisy rejection" of religion before converting to Roman Catholicism. She has said, "I went through every stage of a relationship with God from atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
to who I am now."
Hall says she has "always been interested in metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
and physics," and credits "science more than anything else" with her conversion. About Joan of Arcadia, she said, "My tag on the show is that it's about both physics and metaphysics, because you can't have one without the other." Physics also features prominently in her novel The Music Teacher.
Hall has written several novels: