David J. Zuckerman (born August 28, 1962) is an American television producer and writer and is best known as the original

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

and executive producer of the animated comedy series ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

'', as well as the creator of the American adaptation of the Australian television series of the same name, ''

Wilfred Wilfred may refer to: * Wilfred (given name), a given name and list of people (and fictional characters) with the name * Wilfred, Indiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * ''Wilfred'' (Australian TV series), a comedy series * ' ...

''. A native of Danville, California, Zuckerman is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Zuckerman first wrote for the sitcom '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', and then went on to write and produce episodes for the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

animated series '' King of the Hill.'' In 1999, along with writer and producer

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...

, he developed another Fox animated series, entitled ''

''. He subsequently worked on MacFarlane's second series, ''

American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...

'', before adapting the Australian live action series ''

'' and producing it under the same name for FX.

Early life and education

Zuckerman was born and raised in Danville, California, and is a graduate of Monte Vista High School. He also has a degree from University of California, Los Angeles. He has German-Jewish ancestry.

Career

Zuckerman began his career as a creative executive for

Lorimar-Telepictures Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation was an entertainment company established in 1985 with the merger of Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Telepictures Corporation. Headquartered at the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (now Sony Pictures Studios) ...

and NBC. He then began writing full-time when he was hired for a staff job on 1990 NBC sitcom '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. As a writer and producer, he helped play a key role in the launch of the first seasons of the

animated series '' King of the Hill'', which he wrote for from 1997 until 1999, before leaving to develop the series ''

''. Zuckerman was partnered with

, the creator of ''Family Guy'', and served as the series's original

, though has not a single writing credit. Afterward, Zuckerman was brought in to develop the Fox animated series ''

'', also created by MacFarlane. He would also go on to create two short-lived network series, as well as an internet show. In 2011, Zuckerman created the American adaptation of the Australian television series of the same name, entitled ''

'', for the cable network FX, starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann.

Personal life

In 1985, Zuckerman appeared as a contestant on the game show '' Sale of the Century'', winning $2,800 in cash and prizes. Zuckerman was married to film and television director

Ellie Kanner Ellie Kanner, sometimes credited as Ellie Kanner-Zuckerman, is an American film and television director and former casting director. Career Kanner grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut. From a young age, she wanted to move to Los Angeles and purs ...

. They have two sons, Zachary and Adam, and are now divorced. He belonged (along with his former wife) to the Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation of Pacific Palisades.Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation of Pacific Palisades Bulletin
MAY-AUGUST 2012 , Iyar/AV 5772 - Volume 61 , Issue 9

Filmography

Television

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zuckerman, David 1962 births Showrunners Television producers from California Jewish American writers American television writers American male television writers American people of German-Jewish descent Living people People from Danville, California University of California, Los Angeles alumni Screenwriters from California 21st-century American Jews Jewish American comedy writers