Darin Morgan
Encyclopedia
Darin Morgan is an American screenwriter best known for several offbeat, darkly humorous episodes of the television series The X-Files
and Millennium
. His teleplay for the X-Files episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
" won a 1996 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series. He is the younger brother of writer and director Glen Morgan
.
and attended the film program at Loyola Marymount University
, where he co-wrote a six-minute short film that led to a three-picture deal with TriStar
. Morgan subsequently wrote a number of unproduced screenplays and appeared in two small guest roles on The Commish
and 21 Jump Street
, where his brother Glen was a writer.
", aired on September 30, 1994, and was Morgan's first story credit, although the teleplay was credited to Glen Morgan and James Wong
.
Shortly thereafter, Morgan became a full-time staff writer for The X-Files, where he wrote his first solo episode, "Humbug
" (originally aired on March 31, 1995). A quirky, funny, sometimes gruesome story about a series of murders in a colony of circus freaks
, "Humbug" is usually considered a landmark episode in the history of The X-Files for broadening the tone and style of the famously dark series into funnier, less predictable directions. It was nominated for a 1996 Edgar award
.
Morgan's next episode, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
", originally aired on October 13, 1995. "Clyde Bruckman" remains a favorite of fans and critics alike, and was acclaimed for retaining the humorous spirit of "Humbug" while extending its story into darker, more poignant territory. Both Morgan and actor Peter Boyle
, who played the depressed psychic Clyde Bruckman, won Emmy awards for this episode.
Morgan wrote two additional episodes of The X-Files, the absurdist cockroach invasion story "War of the Coprophages
" (originally aired on January 5, 1996) and the famously convoluted "Jose Chung's From Outer Space
" (April 12, 1996), as well as contributing an uncredited rewrite to "Quagmire" (May 3, 1996). He left the show after the third season, but joined the writing staff of Millennium, writing and directing two episodes with extremely layered plots and humorous dialogue: "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
" (which revived the character of author Jose Chung, played by Charles Nelson Reilly
, and was originally aired on November 21, 1997) and "Somehow Satan Got Behind Me" (May 1, 1998).
In addition to his work as a writer, Morgan contributed a substantial guest appearance to the X-Files episode "Small Potatoes" (April 20, 1997), where he played Eddie Van Blundht, a self-described "loser" with the ability to shape-shift.
, the co-screenwriter of Batman
and Batman Returns
, were writing an untitled screenplay under development by DreamWorks SKG. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the story "concerns a marriage counselor, whose daughter is about to get married, who discovers that his future son-in-law is suffering from the delusion that he's a superhero."
Morgan worked on the second episode of former "X-Files" producer Frank Spotnitz
's Kolchak: The Night Stalker
remake, as consulting producer, though the show was canceled before any Morgan-written scripts were produced. The one script that Morgan wrote before the show was canceled was called "The M Word". It concerned a serial killer and a were-lizard, who may or may not be one and the same. It is available as a pdf
on the second disc of the DVD set.
Morgan worked as a consulting producer on the short-lived TV reboot of Bionic Woman
(2008), and was a consulting producer with Fringe
(2008).
Darin Morgan joined his brother Glen Morgan on Tower Prep
, a live action, one-hour drama for Cartoon Network.
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
and Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
. His teleplay for the X-Files episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is the fourth episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on October 13, 1996, on FOX. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by David Nutter...
" won a 1996 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series. He is the younger brother of writer and director Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
.
Writing career
Morgan was born in Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and attended the film program at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
, where he co-wrote a six-minute short film that led to a three-picture deal with TriStar
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
. Morgan subsequently wrote a number of unproduced screenplays and appeared in two small guest roles on The Commish
The Commish
The Commish is a television series that aired on ABC in the United States from 1991 to 1996. The series focused on the work and home life of a suburban police commissioner in upstate New York....
and 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
, where his brother Glen was a writer.
The X-Files
In 1994, Morgan was cast as the Flukeman, a mutated flukeworm the size of a human being, in a second-season episode of The X-Files. (Glen Morgan had joined the show a year before as a writer and producer during the show's first season.) The role required Morgan to wear a cumbersome rubber suit for twenty hours at a stretch, an experience that he has since described as "terrible, just horrible." His appearance in "The Host", which originally aired on September 23, 1994, was followed by an offer for Morgan to write an episode of the series. This episode, "BloodBlood (The X-Files)
"Blood" is the third episode of the second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It first aired on September 30, 1994. It follows F.B.I. Agents Scully and Mulder's investigation into a series of killings in Franklin, Pennsylvania...
", aired on September 30, 1994, and was Morgan's first story credit, although the teleplay was credited to Glen Morgan and James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
.
Shortly thereafter, Morgan became a full-time staff writer for The X-Files, where he wrote his first solo episode, "Humbug
Humbug (The X-Files)
"Humbug" is the twentieth episode of the second season of American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by Kim Manners. Morgan had previously appeared in a guest role as the Flukeman in an earlier episode of that season called "The Host"....
" (originally aired on March 31, 1995). A quirky, funny, sometimes gruesome story about a series of murders in a colony of circus freaks
Gibsonton, Florida
Gibsonton is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,234 at the 2010 census....
, "Humbug" is usually considered a landmark episode in the history of The X-Files for broadening the tone and style of the famously dark series into funnier, less predictable directions. It was nominated for a 1996 Edgar award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
.
Morgan's next episode, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is the fourth episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on October 13, 1996, on FOX. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by David Nutter...
", originally aired on October 13, 1995. "Clyde Bruckman" remains a favorite of fans and critics alike, and was acclaimed for retaining the humorous spirit of "Humbug" while extending its story into darker, more poignant territory. Both Morgan and actor Peter Boyle
Peter Boyle
Peter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein ....
, who played the depressed psychic Clyde Bruckman, won Emmy awards for this episode.
Morgan wrote two additional episodes of The X-Files, the absurdist cockroach invasion story "War of the Coprophages
War of the Coprophages
"War of the Coprophages" is a 1996 episode of The X-Files television series. It was the twelfth episode broadcast in the show's third season. "War of the Coprophages" surrounds a small town being plagued by deaths related to cockroaches.- Plot :...
" (originally aired on January 5, 1996) and the famously convoluted "Jose Chung's From Outer Space
Jose Chung's From Outer Space
"Jose Chung's From Outer Space" is the 20th episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on April 12, 1996, on FOX. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by Rob Bowman...
" (April 12, 1996), as well as contributing an uncredited rewrite to "Quagmire" (May 3, 1996). He left the show after the third season, but joined the writing staff of Millennium, writing and directing two episodes with extremely layered plots and humorous dialogue: "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
"Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" is the ninth episode of the second season of Fox's Millennium. Controversial writer Jose Chung comes to the aid of criminal profiler Frank Black and the Millennium Group when a bizarre religious group known as Selfosophy "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" is the ninth...
" (which revived the character of author Jose Chung, played by Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
, and was originally aired on November 21, 1997) and "Somehow Satan Got Behind Me" (May 1, 1998).
In addition to his work as a writer, Morgan contributed a substantial guest appearance to the X-Files episode "Small Potatoes" (April 20, 1997), where he played Eddie Van Blundht, a self-described "loser" with the ability to shape-shift.
Later work
On August 11, 2004, it was announced that Morgan and Sam HammSam Hamm
Sam Hamm is an American screenwriter, perhaps best known for writing the screenplay for Tim Burton's Batman and an unused screenplay for the sequel. As a result of his work, he was invited to write for the Batman comic. The result was Batman: Blind Justice, which introduced Bruce Wayne's mentor,...
, the co-screenwriter of Batman
Batman (1989 film)
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
and Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
, were writing an untitled screenplay under development by DreamWorks SKG. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the story "concerns a marriage counselor, whose daughter is about to get married, who discovers that his future son-in-law is suffering from the delusion that he's a superhero."
Morgan worked on the second episode of former "X-Files" producer Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
's Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974-1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter — Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin — who investigates mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly ones law...
remake, as consulting producer, though the show was canceled before any Morgan-written scripts were produced. The one script that Morgan wrote before the show was canceled was called "The M Word". It concerned a serial killer and a were-lizard, who may or may not be one and the same. It is available as a pdf
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
on the second disc of the DVD set.
Morgan worked as a consulting producer on the short-lived TV reboot of Bionic Woman
Bionic Woman
Bionic Woman may refer to:* The Bionic Woman, a television series that aired from 1976 to 1978 on ABC and NBC** Jaime Sommers , the main character* Bionic Woman , a 2007 remake of the series on NBC...
(2008), and was a consulting producer with Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
(2008).
Darin Morgan joined his brother Glen Morgan on Tower Prep
Tower Prep
Tower Prep is an American-Canadian television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 16, 2010, after the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. The series is created by Paul Dini, a former producer and writer of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The...
, a live action, one-hour drama for Cartoon Network.
Producer
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Tower Prep Tower Prep Tower Prep is an American-Canadian television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 16, 2010, after the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. The series is created by Paul Dini, a former producer and writer of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The... |
Supervising producer | Season 1 |
| 2009 | Fringe | Consulting producer | Season 3 |
| 2008 | |||
| 2007 | Bionic Woman Bionic Woman Bionic Woman may refer to:* The Bionic Woman, a television series that aired from 1976 to 1978 on ABC and NBC** Jaime Sommers , the main character* Bionic Woman , a 2007 remake of the series on NBC... |
Consulting producer | Season 1 |
| 2006 | The Night Stalker | Consulting producer | Season 1 |
| 2005 | |||
| 1998 | Millenium | Consulting producer | Season 2 |
| 1997 | |||
| 1996 | The X-Files The X-Files The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s... |
Story Editor | Season 3 |
| 1995 | |||
Writer
| Year | Show | Season | Episode | Episode # | Original air date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Tower Prep Tower Prep Tower Prep is an American-Canadian television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 16, 2010, after the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster. The series is created by Paul Dini, a former producer and writer of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The... |
1 | "Book Report" | 6 | 23 November | |
| "Dreams" | 9 | 14 December | ||||
| 1998 | Millenium | 2 | "Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me " | 21 | 1 May | |
| 1997 | "Jose Chung's 'Doomsday Defense'" | 9 | 21 November | |||
| 1996 | The X-Files The X-Files The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s... |
3 | "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" | 20 | 12 April | |
| "War of the Coprophages" | 12 | 5 January | ||||
| 1995 | "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" | 4 | 13 October | |||
| 2 | "Humbug" | 20 | 31 March | |||
| 1994 | "Blood" | 3 | 30 September | |||