Barry O'Brien (born 1957) is an American television writer and producer best known as the co-creator of

Disney Channel Original Series This article lists past, present and future television programming on American basic cable channel and former premium channel, Disney Channel, since its launch on April 18, 1983. Current programming Original Live-action Animated Shorts Ac ...

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...

''. His credits include ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...

'', '' Perfect Strangers'', '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'', ''

Judging Amy ''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves in a ...

'', and ''

CSI: Miami ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...

''.

Life

Barry O’Brien was born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, to a large Irish Catholic family. He attended

Terra Linda High School Terra Linda High School (also known as TLHS and more commonly known as TL) is a public secondary school located in Terra Linda, San Rafael, California, United States. In 2006, it was named a California Distinguished School. The school is part of t ...

, before joining

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mis ...

on a football scholarship, studying business and finance. O’Brien’s biggest hit is Disney’s ''

'', a concept he successfully pitched based on the premise of an incredibly famous teenager-with-a-double-life, an idea conceived during a tenure on Nickelodeon’s television series ''

All That ''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins P ...

'', where the (then) teenage American pop singer

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

featured as a guest. Aside from writing for television, O’Brien co-wrote Jerry Bruckheimer’s ''

Kangaroo Jack ''Kangaroo Jack'' is a 2003 buddy comedy film produced by Castle Rock Entertainment and Jerry Bruckheimer Films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, directed by David McNally with a screenplay by Steve Bing and Scott Rosenberg from a story by ...

'', and two junior novels. He currently resides in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, with his wife and two children.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1981-1982) (writer) * ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' star ...

'' (1982) (writer) * ''

Joanie Loves Chachi ''Joanie Loves Chachi'' is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of ''Happy Days'' that aired on ABC from March 23, 1982, to May 24, 1983. It stars Erin Moran and Scott Baio as the characters Joanie Cunningham and Chachi Arcola, re ...

'' (1982) (writer) * ''

The New Odd Couple ''The New Odd Couple'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and was an updated version of the 1970s television series '' The Odd Couple''. ''The New Odd Couple'' was the second attempt to remake a series ...

'' (1983) (writer) * ''

Silver Spoons ''Silver Spoons'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982, to May 11, 1986, and in first-run syndication from September 27, 1986, to May 30, 1987. The series was produced by Embassy Television for the fi ...

'' (1984) (writer) * '' Muppet Babies'' (1985) (writer) * ''

MoonDreamers ''MoonDreamers'' is an American animated television series that aired in 1986 as part of the ''My Little Pony 'n Friends'' lineup. It appeared on CBN Family Channel from 1989 to 1990, Family Channel from 1990 to 1995 during '' My Little Pony''. ...

'' (1986) (writer) * ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...

'' (1984-1986) (writer) * ''

Ghostbusters ''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American Supernatural fiction, supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and ...

'' (1986) (writer) * ''Blondie & Dagwood'' (1987) (writer) * ''

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night ''Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night'' is a 1987 American animated fantasy adventure film that was released on December 25, 1987, by New World Pictures. Created by Filmation, the film was conceived as a sequel to the 1883 Italian classic nov ...

'' (1987) (writer) * ''

Beverly Hills Teens ''Beverly Hills Teens'' is an American animated children's television program produced by DIC Animation City. Distributed by Access Syndication and originally airing in first-run syndication in the United States from September 21, 1987 through D ...

'' (1987) (writer, developer) * ''

The Jetsons ''The Jetsons'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It originally aired in prime time from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, on ABC, then later aired in reruns via syndication, with new episodes produced f ...

'' (1987) (writer) * ''

Fraggle Rock ''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...

'' (1987) (writer) * ''

BraveStarr ''BraveStarr'' is an American space Western animated series that aired 65 episodes from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. The show was created a year after Mattel had released a line of action figures. ''BraveStarr'' was the last a ...

'' (1987) (writer) * ''

Alvin and the Chipmunks Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks or simply The Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for novelty records in 1958. The group consists of three s ...

'' (1988) (writer) * ''

She's the Sheriff ''She's the Sheriff'' is an American sitcom television series that aired in first-run syndication from September 19, 1987 to April 1, 1989. Produced by Lorimar Television, the series marked the return of Suzanne Somers to television for the f ...

'' (1987-1989) (writer) * ''Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout'' (1989) (writer) * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1987-1993) (supervising producer, writer) * ''

All-New Dennis the Menace ''All-New Dennis the Menace'' is an animated series based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham. It ran in 1993 on CBS, while the 1986 series was still airing in syndication, capitalizing on the success of a live-action film adaptation of the comic ...

'' (1993) (writer) * ''

Getting By Receiving may refer to: * ''Kabbalah'', "receiving" in Hebrew * Receiving department (or receiving dock), in a distribution center * Receiving house, a theater * Receiving line, in a wedding reception * Receiving mark, postmark * Receiving partn ...

'' (1993-1994) (writer, co-executive producer) * ''

Taz-Mania ''Taz-Mania'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991 to 1995, broadcast in the United States on Fox Kids. The show follows the adventures of the ''Looney Tunes'' character Taz ( the Tasmanian Devil) in the f ...

'' (1995) (writer) * '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' (1995-1996) (co-executive producer, writer) * ''

Guys Like Us ''Guys Like Us'' is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider for the UPN channel. It was Schneider's first creator credit. The series aired from October 5, 1998 to January 18, 1999, and it starred Bumper Robinson, Maestro Harrell, and Chris H ...

'' (1998) (executive producer, writer) * ''

Between Brothers ''Between Brothers'' is an American television sitcom centered on four middle-class African American men in their late twenties, living in Chicago. It premiered on September 11, 1997 on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, with the second season airi ...

'' (1997-1999) (writer, executive producer, creator) * ''

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...

'' (2000-2001) (co-producer, writer) * ''

Gary & Mike ''Gary & Mike'' is an American adult animated buddy comedy sitcom that aired on UPN in 2001 and Comedy Central in 2003. It was Big Ticket Television’s first animated show. The show was produced in stop motion clay animation and lasted only one s ...

'' (2001) (writer) * ''

'' (2002-2005) (writer, supervising producer) * ''

'' (2003) (writer) * ''

Drake & Josh ''Drake & Josh'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows two teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite opposite personalities. The ser ...

'' (2004) (writer: story) (one episode; "Football") * ''

'' (2005-2012) (writer, executive producer) * ''

'' (2006-2011) (writer, creator) * ''

The Einstein Factor ''The Einstein Factor'' was an Australian television quiz show that was broadcast on ABC1. The show's host is comedian and broadcaster Peter Berner. It was first broadcast in 2004 and in 2009 the show commenced its sixth and final season, with t ...

'' (2007-2008) (supervising producer, writer, original concept) * ''

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...

'' (2013) (co-executive producer, writer) * ''

King & Maxwell ''King & Maxwell'' is an American drama television series that ran on TNT from June 10 to August 12, 2013. The series featured Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn as Washington, D.C.–based former Secret Service agents solving crimes as private detect ...

'' (2013) (co-executive producer, writer) * ''

Intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...

'' (2014) (producer, writer) * ''

Dig Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock (geology), rock on the surface of Earth. Di ...

'' (2015) (producer, writer) * ''

The Following ''The Following'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Kevin Williamson, and jointly produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The first season follows former FBI agent Ryan Hardy ( Kevin Bacon) ...

'' (2015) (producer, writer) * ''

Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

'' (2015–16) (producer, writer) * '' Gone'' (2017–18) (producer, writer) * '' Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector'' (2020) (writer) * '' Corn & Peg'' (2020) (writer) * '' Law & Order: Organized Crime'' (2022-) (head writer)

Selected works

* Hannah Montana Bind Up #2 (Super Sneak/ Truth or Dare), with Laurie McElroy (Disney Press, 2009) () * Ace London, with John Worsley, Kaj Melendez, and Mirza Javed (

Fleetway Publications Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies that merg ...

, 1962; Cuahtemoc Publishing Ltd, 2011) ()

Awards and nominations

Nominated for an

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

for (the) Best Television Episode Teleplay of 2008. (CSI: Miami, You May Now Kill the Bride)
Santa Clara Magazine: Resurrection

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, Barry American television writers Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Santa Clara University alumni American male screenwriters American people of Irish descent Television producers from California Writers from San Francisco 1959 births American male television writers Screenwriters from California

Life

Filmography

Selected works

Awards and nominations

See also

References

Sources