David Zuckerman (TV producer)

David Zuckerman
Zuckerman at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	David J. Zuckerman (1962-08-28) August 28, 1962 (age 61) Danville, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation(s)	Television producer, writer
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Ellie Kanner (divorced)
Children	2

David J. Zuckerman (born August 28, 1962) is an American film and television producer and writer and is best known as the original showrunner and executive producer of the animated comedy series Family Guy , as well as the creator of the American adaptation of the Australian television series of the same name, Wilfred .

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 animated series King of the Hill. In 1999, along with writer and producer Seth MacFarlane, he developed another Fox animated series, entitled Family Guy . He subsequently worked on MacFarlane's second series, American Dad! , before adapting the Australian live action series Wilfred and producing it under the same name for FX. ^[1]

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. ^[1]

Career

Zuckerman began his career as a creative executive for Lorimar-Telepictures 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 Fox animated series King of the Hill , which he wrote for from 1997 until 1999, before leaving to develop the series Family Guy . Zuckerman was partnered with Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, and served as the series's original showrunner, ^[1] though has not a single writing credit.

Afterward, Zuckerman was brought in to develop the Fox animated series American Dad! , 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 Wilfred , for the cable network FX, starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann. ^[1]

Personal life

In 1985, Zuckerman appeared as a contestant on the game show Sale of the Century , winning $2,800 in cash and prizes. ^{[2] [3]}

Zuckerman was married to film and television director Ellie Kanner. They have two sons, Zachary and Adam, and are now divorced. ^[4] He belonged (along with his former wife) to the Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation of Pacific Palisades. ^[5]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role
1993-1995	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Writer, co-producer
1997-1999	King of the Hill	Writer, supervising producer & co-executive producer
1999-2000	Family Guy	Developer & executive producer
2005-2006	American Dad!	Writer & co-executive producer
2011-2014	Wilfred (American TV series)	Developer, executive producer & writer

References

1. "Wilfred" (PDF). Fox Flash. 20th Century Fox. Retrieved 2011-07-04.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
2. "Sale of the Century SYN Week 14". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
3. "Sale of the Century SYN Week 15". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
4. Aushenker, Michael (May 5, 2010). "Casting Director Turns Film Director". Pacific Palisades. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
5. Kehillat Israel Reconstructionist Congregation of Pacific Palisades Bulletin Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine MAY-AUGUST 2012 | Iyar/AV 5772 - Volume 61 | Issue 9

External links

• David Zuckerman at IMDb