Jason Katims
Encyclopedia
Jason Katims is an American television writer, producer
, and playwright. He is best known for Relativity
, which he created and wrote for; Roswell
, which he developed, produced, and wrote for; Boston Public
, which he co-wrote; Pepper Dennis
, a short-lived dramedy starring Rebecca Romijn
on The WB; the 1996 movie The Pallbearer
, starring David Schwimmer
and Gwyneth Paltrow
. He is the head writer and executive producer of Friday Night Lights
for which he won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
.
, New York
. He is the youngest of a brother and a sister.
He attended Queens College in New York.
In 1994, he wrote three episodes for the ABC
teen drama My So-Called Life
. He created Relativity
in 1996 but the TV series was cancelled after 17 episodes.
He then was involved in Roswell
and in Boston Public
.
He worked on the NBC
series Friday Night Lights
as head writer and executive producer. Katims was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony
for his work on the first season of Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series the following year at the February 2008 ceremony
for his work on the second season of Friday Night Lights. Katims was nominated for Best Dramatic Series a second time at the February 2009 ceremony
for his work on the third season of Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Drama Series for the third consecutive year at the February 2010 ceremony
for his work on the fourth season. In 2011, he was finally honoured by an award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
in Friday Night Lights.
Katims is also the creator of and executive producer for Parenthood
, another NBC series which debuted in 2010. Katims based that series' Max Braverman character on his life with his own son, who has Asperger syndrome
.
He also wrote a play titled The Man Who Couldn't Dance. Katims is a former member of Stagewrights, a playwriting collective in New York City.
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...
, and playwright. He is best known for Relativity
Relativity (TV series)
Relativity is an American drama television series which followed a twenty-something couple, Isabel Lukens and Leo Roth , and the lives and loves of their friends and siblings...
, which he created and wrote for; Roswell
Roswell (TV series)
Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002...
, which he developed, produced, and wrote for; Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
, which he co-wrote; Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis is a comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from April to July 4, 2006. It was quickly announced on May 17, 2006 that Pepper Dennis would not be one of the WB shows transferred to The CW Television Network....
, a short-lived dramedy starring Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
on The WB; the 1996 movie The Pallbearer
The Pallbearer
The Pallbearer is a 1996 American romantic comedy film starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Michael Rapaport, and Barbara Hershey. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival....
, starring David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
and Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
. He is the head writer and executive producer of Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
for which he won Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
.
Early life
Jason Katims was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He is the youngest of a brother and a sister.
He attended Queens College in New York.
Career
Katims was a playwright in New York until director and producer Ed Zwick asked him if he wanted to write for television and films.In 1994, he wrote three episodes for the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
teen drama My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
. He created Relativity
Relativity (TV series)
Relativity is an American drama television series which followed a twenty-something couple, Isabel Lukens and Leo Roth , and the lives and loves of their friends and siblings...
in 1996 but the TV series was cancelled after 17 episodes.
He then was involved in Roswell
Roswell (TV series)
Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002...
and in Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
.
He worked on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
as head writer and executive producer. Katims was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2006
The 59th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film and television writers of 2006.-Best Adapted Screenplay:The Departed - William Monahan...
for his work on the first season of Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series the following year at the February 2008 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2007
The 60th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2007. Winners were announced on February 9, 2008.-Best Adapted Screenplay:...
for his work on the second season of Friday Night Lights. Katims was nominated for Best Dramatic Series a second time at the February 2009 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2008
The 61st Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2008. Winners were announced on February 7, 2009.-Best Adapted Screenplay:...
for his work on the third season of Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Drama Series for the third consecutive year at the February 2010 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2009
The 62nd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film, television, and videogame writers of 2009. Winners were announced on February 20, 2010.-Best Adapted Screenplay:*Crazy Heart*Julie & Julia...
for his work on the fourth season. In 2011, he was finally honoured by an award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
in Friday Night Lights.
Katims is also the creator of and executive producer for Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
, another NBC series which debuted in 2010. Katims based that series' Max Braverman character on his life with his own son, who has Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
.
He also wrote a play titled The Man Who Couldn't Dance. Katims is a former member of Stagewrights, a playwriting collective in New York City.
Television
- My So-Called LifeMy So-Called LifeMy So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the...
(1994) – story editor - RelativityRelativity (TV series)Relativity is an American drama television series which followed a twenty-something couple, Isabel Lukens and Leo Roth , and the lives and loves of their friends and siblings...
(1996) – creator, pilot writer - RoswellRoswell (TV series)Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002...
(1999–2002) – developer, executive producer, writer - DeMarco Affairs (2004) – creator, executive producer
- Boston PublicBoston PublicBoston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
(2001–2004) – writer, executive producer - Fertille Ground (2005) – executive producer
- Pepper DennisPepper DennisPepper Dennis is a comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from April to July 4, 2006. It was quickly announced on May 17, 2006 that Pepper Dennis would not be one of the WB shows transferred to The CW Television Network....
(2006) – executive producer - The Wedding BellsThe Wedding BellsThe Wedding Bells is an American television comedy-drama that debuted on Fox on March 7, 2007. The series was greenlighted after the network became interested in a series centered on wedding planners. The network approached David E...
(2007) – executive producer, creator - Friday Night LightsFriday Night Lights (TV series)Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
(2006–2011) – executive producer, writer, director - ParenthoodParenthood (2010 TV series)Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
(2010–present) – creator, executive producer, writer, director