John Sacret Young
Encyclopedia
John Sacret Young is an author, producer, director, and screenwriter primarily in television. Young has been nominated for seven Emmys and seven Writers Guild of America Award
s, winning two WGA Awards.
He is perhaps best known for co-creating along with William F. Broyles Jr., China Beach
, the critically acclaimed ABC drama series about the medics and nurses during the Vietnam War. For his work on the show, Young received five Emmy and four Writer’s Guild Award nominations. The WGA honored him with the Award for an episode he also directed.
The West Wing brought him two more Emmy and two more WGA nominations.
Young won his second WGA Award for the mini-series, A Rumor of War.
He's also been honored with two Christopher Award
s for the Academy Award-nominated feature film Testament
starring Jane Alexander and Kevin Costner and the film Romero
with Raul Julia.
Young's the holder of a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award
as well, and his original mini-series about the Gulf War
, Thanks of a Grateful Nation, was honored with his fifth Humanitas Prize
nomination and second win.
He began his television work on the Emmy winning Best Drama series, Police Story, and has since created, written, or Executive Produced five additional series and multiple mini-series and movies of the week.
Young’s recently published book, Remains: Non-Viewable was a Los Angeles Times best seller. Elmore Leonard said of it: "Young writes so well his memoir works as a novel. He brings to life real people in dramatic situations, with indelible grace and the restless energy of emotions that even the passage of time cannot quell." Scott Turow wrote, “…a compelling portrait of many worlds—Yankee New England, Vietnam and Hollywood—and of high adventures, antic moments, and the cycles of love and grief. Every page is wrought with indelible grace and the restless energy of emotions that even the passage of time cannot quell." The LA Times’ Susan Salter Reynolds said, "Every family should be blessed by a historian as compassionate and wise as JSY." And, Steve Weinberg from The San Francisco Chronicle told his readers, "Like the rest of the memoir, the title is poignant, subtle and brilliant.... Want to study compelling prose? Read Young. Almost every sentence is perfectly crafted.... This book contains something for just about any thinking reader."
In reviewing Young’s first novel The Weather Tomorrow, The New Yorker called him “a writer of effortless dexterity and a true, unaffected originality . . . The story he tells cuts right to the bone.” Newsweek’s Jean Strause heralded it, "...Exceptionally fine first novel." Art Seidenbaum of the Los Angeles Times said, "This is serious, touching, original fiction." And the Los Angeles Herald Examiner’s Digby Diehl proclaimed, “"A brilliant debut by an L.A. novelist. Young is the first new voice in decades that might be compared to the young William Faulkner...What a rarity to discover a new Los Angeles writer whose control of language is precise and confident, whose sentences sparkle and glide and zoom."
Presently, partnered as Executive Producer with Robert Redford, he’s written Generations, a pilot for TNT, which he will also direct.
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
s, winning two WGA Awards.
He is perhaps best known for co-creating along with William F. Broyles Jr., China Beach
China Beach
China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans...
, the critically acclaimed ABC drama series about the medics and nurses during the Vietnam War. For his work on the show, Young received five Emmy and four Writer’s Guild Award nominations. The WGA honored him with the Award for an episode he also directed.
The West Wing brought him two more Emmy and two more WGA nominations.
Young won his second WGA Award for the mini-series, A Rumor of War.
He's also been honored with two Christopher Award
Christopher Award
The Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
s for the Academy Award-nominated feature film Testament
Testament (film)
Testament is a drama film directed by Lynne Littman and starring Jane Alexander.The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the San Francisco Bay Area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization....
starring Jane Alexander and Kevin Costner and the film Romero
Romero (film)
Romero is a film depicting the life of assassinated Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero, played by Raúl Juliá. Richard Jordan played the role of Romero's close friend and fellow martyred priest Rutilio Grande, and actors Ana Alicia and Harold Gould also appeared in the film.Romero was the first...
with Raul Julia.
Young's the holder of a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
as well, and his original mini-series about the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, Thanks of a Grateful Nation, was honored with his fifth 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...
nomination and second win.
He began his television work on the Emmy winning Best Drama series, Police Story, and has since created, written, or Executive Produced five additional series and multiple mini-series and movies of the week.
Young’s recently published book, Remains: Non-Viewable was a Los Angeles Times best seller. Elmore Leonard said of it: "Young writes so well his memoir works as a novel. He brings to life real people in dramatic situations, with indelible grace and the restless energy of emotions that even the passage of time cannot quell." Scott Turow wrote, “…a compelling portrait of many worlds—Yankee New England, Vietnam and Hollywood—and of high adventures, antic moments, and the cycles of love and grief. Every page is wrought with indelible grace and the restless energy of emotions that even the passage of time cannot quell." The LA Times’ Susan Salter Reynolds said, "Every family should be blessed by a historian as compassionate and wise as JSY." And, Steve Weinberg from The San Francisco Chronicle told his readers, "Like the rest of the memoir, the title is poignant, subtle and brilliant.... Want to study compelling prose? Read Young. Almost every sentence is perfectly crafted.... This book contains something for just about any thinking reader."
In reviewing Young’s first novel The Weather Tomorrow, The New Yorker called him “a writer of effortless dexterity and a true, unaffected originality . . . The story he tells cuts right to the bone.” Newsweek’s Jean Strause heralded it, "...Exceptionally fine first novel." Art Seidenbaum of the Los Angeles Times said, "This is serious, touching, original fiction." And the Los Angeles Herald Examiner’s Digby Diehl proclaimed, “"A brilliant debut by an L.A. novelist. Young is the first new voice in decades that might be compared to the young William Faulkner...What a rarity to discover a new Los Angeles writer whose control of language is precise and confident, whose sentences sparkle and glide and zoom."
Presently, partnered as Executive Producer with Robert Redford, he’s written Generations, a pilot for TNT, which he will also direct.
Credits
- Generations (Writer, Executive Producer, Director, 2008)
- Quarterlife (Director, 2008)
- The West Wing (Writer, Producer: 2004–2006)
- DeceitDeceit (2004 film)Deceit is a 2004 American television movie adapted from the 2000 British television serial of the same name. Marlo Thomas, the film's leading actress, also served as executive producer. This crime film follows Ellen McCarthy in her attempt to determine the circumstances of her rich husband's...
(Writer, Executive Producer, Director, 2005) - King of the World (Writer, Director, Executive Producer: 2000)
- Adapted from David Remnick’s acclaimed New Yorker article, King of the World, examines the life of Cassius Clay, the man the world came to know and honor as Muhammad Ali.
- Sirens (Writer, Director, Executive Producer: 1999)
- A couple of cops assume a white woman making out with a black man is being raped, and they shoot to kill. The woman sets out to bring the cops to justice, but it’s her word against theirs.
- Thanks of a Grateful Nation (Writer, Executive Producer: 1998)
- As thousands of Desert Storm vets develop medical problems, they discover the military has something to hide. Groups of servicemen and women, as well as members of Congress, join forces to uncover the truth.
- Keys (Writer, Director, Executive Producer: 1994)
- Police investigate the random murder/assault/child kidnapping of a seemingly average family. Marg Helgenberger, pre-CSI, seeks clues to the motive behind the crime and the whereabouts of the missing child. At the same time she is haunted by her own similar tragedy.
- A Rumor of War (Writer: 1980)
- Adapted from Phillip Caputo’s best-selling memoirs, the award-winning film examines the tragic loss of innocence when a young Marine lieutenant is brought up on charges for giving an order, which led to the death of several Vietnamese civilians. Found innocent, but in many respects he believed himself and maybe the war itself that he was legally innocent but morally guilty.
- China Beach (Co-Creator, Writer, Director, Executive Producer: 1988–1991)
Other Credits
- Orleans (Co-creator, executive producer, writer, director) starring Larry Hagman.
- Level 9 (Co-created by Michael Connelly, executive producer, writer, director)
- VR 5 (Executive producer, writer, director)
- Fire on the Mountain, MOW from a book by Edward Abbey (Writer, executive producer) starring Buddy Ebsen and Ron Howard
- Champions: A Love Story, a GE Theater Presentation (Writer, producer)
- Special Olympics (MOW, writer, also a book)
- Police Story (Writer)
- The Fitzpatricks (Creator, Writer, Executive Consultant)