Mara Brock Akil
Encyclopedia
Mara Brock Akil is an American television writer and producer
.
, California
, Brock Akil was raised primarily in Kansas City
. She is a graduate of Raytown South High School
in 1988. She is also a graduate of Northwestern University
, where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta
sorority.
. In 1999, she served as supervising producer and writer on The Jamie Foxx Show
after writing for Moesha
for four seasons. In 2000, Brock Akil created and executive produced (along with Kelsey Grammer
) another UPN series Girlfriends
. She also created and executive produced the spin-off series The Game
.
In June 2007, Brock Akil and her husband signed to The Weinstein Co. Their first project under the new pact will be a film about a woman who starts a business to investigate the mates of high-powered women after she herself is left at the altar. Mara Brock Akil will write the screenplay and Salim Akil will direct, reports Variety. The pair’s Happy Camper Productions banner will produce.
In 2009, Brock Akil became a consulting producer and writer for the ABC
suburban sitcom Cougar Town
.
Salim Akil in 1999. She and her husband are practicing Sufi Muslims. They have two sons Yasin and Nasir. She is also sister to Kara Brock.
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...
.
Early life
Muslim American born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Brock Akil was raised primarily in Kansas City
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
. She is a graduate of Raytown South High School
Raytown South High School
Raytown South Senior High School is a high school located in Raytown, Missouri. The school was established in 1961, and graduated its first class of seniors in 1964. The enrollment at South peaked in the late 1970s, when it had the largest public school enrollment in the state of Missouri. As...
in 1988. She is also a graduate of Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
sorority.
Career
Brock Akil first began her career in 1994 writing for the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox series South CentralSouth Central (TV series)
South Central is an American comedy-drama series that aired on the Fox network from April 5, 1994 to June 7, 1994. It was cancelled following its first season, and the airing of only 10 episodes.-Synopsis:...
. In 1999, she served as supervising producer and writer on The Jamie Foxx Show
The Jamie Foxx Show
The Jamie Foxx Show is an American television sitcom that aired on the WB Network from August 28, 1996 to January 14, 2001. The series starred Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris.-Synopsis:...
after writing for Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
for four seasons. In 2000, Brock Akil created and executive produced (along with Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
) another UPN series Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
. She also created and executive produced the spin-off series The Game
The Game (US TV series)
The Game is an American comedy-drama television series created by Mara Brock Akil and produced by Kelsey Grammer. Premiering on October 1, 2006, the series debuted as the only new comedy series chosen for The CW's primetime schedule...
.
In June 2007, Brock Akil and her husband signed to The Weinstein Co. Their first project under the new pact will be a film about a woman who starts a business to investigate the mates of high-powered women after she herself is left at the altar. Mara Brock Akil will write the screenplay and Salim Akil will direct, reports Variety. The pair’s Happy Camper Productions banner will produce.
In 2009, Brock Akil became a consulting producer and writer 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...
suburban sitcom Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
.
Personal life
She married television directorTelevision director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
Salim Akil in 1999. She and her husband are practicing Sufi Muslims. They have two sons Yasin and Nasir. She is also sister to Kara Brock.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | BET Comedy Awards | Won | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Girlfriends |
| 2007 | NAACP Image Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Girlfriends (For episode "After the Storm") |