David Milch
Encyclopedia
David S. Milch is an American
writer
and producer
of television series. He has created several television shows, including NYPD Blue
(co-created with Steven Bochco
) and Deadwood
.
where he won the Tinker Prize in English and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon
chapter, along with future U.S. president George W. Bush
. He earned an MFA
from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
at the University of Iowa
.
To avoid the draft during the Vietnam War
, Milch enrolled in Yale Law School
, but was expelled for shooting out a police car siren with a shotgun. Milch then worked as a writing teacher and lecturer in English literature at Yale. During his teaching career, he assisted Robert Penn Warren
and Cleanth Brooks
in the writing of several college textbooks on literature. Milch's poetry and fiction have been published in The Atlantic Monthly
and the Southern Review
.
In 1982, Milch wrote a script for Hill Street Blues
which became the episode "Trial by Fury." This began his career in television. He worked five seasons on Hill Street Blues as executive story editor and then as executive producer
. Milch earned two Writers Guild Award
s, a Humanitas prize
, and an Emmy while working on that show.
Milch created NYPD Blue
with Steven Bochco
and served as Executive Producer of that series for seven seasons. Milch co-created the patrol police drama Brooklyn South
with Bochco, Bill Clark
, and William S. Finkelstein in 1997 while still working on NYPD Blue. After NYPD Blue, Milch created a CBS
series called Big Apple
.
From 2002-2006, Milch produced Deadwood
, a dramatic series for HBO. Milch served as creator, writer, and executive producer. The series ended in 2006, after three seasons. There were plans for two feature length movies to conclude the series, but after many rumors, star Ian McShane
has said that the sets have been struck and the films are highly unlikely to be produced.
Ian McShane presented David Milch with the 2006 Outstanding Television Writer Award at the Austin Film Festival
.
Milch began production in 2006 on John from Cincinnati
, another dramatic series for HBO. The series was canceled after its first season. Initial ratings had been lower than expected but increased steadily. Ratings for the final episode were more than 3 million.
In October 2007, HBO renewed its contract with Milch. A pilot was commissioned for Last of the Ninth, "a drama set in the New York Police Department during the 1970s, when the Knapp Commission
was formed to ferret out corruption in the force." Collaborating with Milch on Last of the Ninth was former NYPD Blue
writer and friend Bill Clark
. In December 2008, The Hollywood Reporter
stated that Last Of The Ninth would not be picked up by the network.
In January 2010, Milch announced that he was developing a new drama for HBO entitled Luck
based around the culture of horse racing
. Michael Mann is slated to direct the pilot and Dustin Hoffman
has been cast. HBO picked up the show to series on July 14, 2010.
Milch has also confirmed that he has signed on for the film adaptation of Quantic Dream
's 2010 video game Heavy Rain
. Work will commence once he has finished work on the first season of Luck
.
racehorses
. Notably, as a co-owner with Mark and Jack Silverman, he won the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
with the colt Gilded Time
. Milch owned outright Val Royal
who captured the 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and producer
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...
of television series. He has created several television shows, including NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
(co-created with Steven Bochco
Steven Bochco
Steven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
) and Deadwood
Deadwood (TV series)
Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
.
Biography
Milch graduated summa cum laude from YaleYALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
where he won the Tinker Prize in English and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies...
chapter, along with future U.S. president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. He earned an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
.
To avoid the draft during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, Milch enrolled in Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, but was expelled for shooting out a police car siren with a shotgun. Milch then worked as a writing teacher and lecturer in English literature at Yale. During his teaching career, he assisted Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the influential literary journal The Southern Review with Cleanth Brooks in 1935...
and Cleanth Brooks
Cleanth Brooks
Cleanth Brooks was an influential American literary critic and professor. He is best known for his contributions to New Criticism in the mid-twentieth century and for revolutionizing the teaching of poetry in American higher education...
in the writing of several college textbooks on literature. Milch's poetry and fiction have been published in The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
and the Southern Review
Southern Review
The Southern Review, a literary journal co-founded in 1935 by Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks and located on the campus of Louisiana State University, publishes fiction, poetry, critical essays, interviews, book reviews, and excerpts from novels in progress by established and emerging writers...
.
In 1982, Milch wrote a script for Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
which became the episode "Trial by Fury." This began his career in television. He worked five seasons on Hill Street Blues as executive story editor and then as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
. Milch earned two Writers Guild Award
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, a 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...
, and an Emmy while working on that show.
Milch created NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
with Steven Bochco
Steven Bochco
Steven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
and served as Executive Producer of that series for seven seasons. Milch co-created the patrol police drama Brooklyn South
Brooklyn South
Brooklyn South is an American ensemble police drama series that aired on CBS for only one season during the 1997-98 television season. The series was co-created by Steven Bochco, Bill Clark, David Milch and William M. Finkelstein. Bochco is the creator of many well-known police dramas such as Hill...
with Bochco, Bill Clark
Bill Clark
Clark joined the New York City Police Department in 1969. He worked a special undercover assignment for two years before entering the Police Academy. In 1972 he earned his gold detective shield. On December 31, 1994, Clark retired from the Queens Homicide Detective Squad as a First Grade...
, and William S. Finkelstein in 1997 while still working on NYPD Blue. After NYPD Blue, Milch created a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series called Big Apple
Big Apple (TV series)
Big Apple is an American television drama series that was originally broadcast in the United States on CBS in 2001. The story centers on two New York City Police Department detectives Mooney and Trout working with the FBI to solve a murder with ties to organized crime...
.
From 2002-2006, Milch produced Deadwood
Deadwood (TV series)
Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
, a dramatic series for HBO. Milch served as creator, writer, and executive producer. The series ended in 2006, after three seasons. There were plans for two feature length movies to conclude the series, but after many rumors, star Ian McShane
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
has said that the sets have been struck and the films are highly unlikely to be produced.
Ian McShane presented David Milch with the 2006 Outstanding Television Writer Award at the Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
.
Milch began production in 2006 on John from Cincinnati
John from Cincinnati
John from Cincinnati is an American television drama, set against the surfing community of Imperial Beach, California, that aired on HBO from June 10, 2007 to August 12, 2007. It is the result of a collaborative effort between writer/producer David Milch and author Kem Nunn, whose novels have been...
, another dramatic series for HBO. The series was canceled after its first season. Initial ratings had been lower than expected but increased steadily. Ratings for the final episode were more than 3 million.
In October 2007, HBO renewed its contract with Milch. A pilot was commissioned for Last of the Ninth, "a drama set in the New York Police Department during the 1970s, when the Knapp Commission
Knapp Commission
The Knapp Commission stemmed from a five-member panel initially formed in April 1970 by Mayor John V. Lindsay to investigate corruption within the New York City Police Department...
was formed to ferret out corruption in the force." Collaborating with Milch on Last of the Ninth was former NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
writer and friend Bill Clark
Bill Clark
Clark joined the New York City Police Department in 1969. He worked a special undercover assignment for two years before entering the Police Academy. In 1972 he earned his gold detective shield. On December 31, 1994, Clark retired from the Queens Homicide Detective Squad as a First Grade...
. In December 2008, The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
stated that Last Of The Ninth would not be picked up by the network.
In January 2010, Milch announced that he was developing a new drama for HBO entitled Luck
Luck (TV series)
Luck is an upcoming U.S. television series set to star Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte. Michael Mann will direct the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by David Milch...
based around the culture of horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Michael Mann is slated to direct the pilot and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
has been cast. HBO picked up the show to series on July 14, 2010.
Milch has also confirmed that he has signed on for the film adaptation of Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream is a French video game developer based in Paris, France, founded in 1997. The company also supplies motion capture services to the film and video game industries.-History:...
's 2010 video game Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage....
. Work will commence once he has finished work on the first season of Luck
Luck (TV series)
Luck is an upcoming U.S. television series set to star Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte. Michael Mann will direct the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by David Milch...
.
Thoroughbred horse racing
Milch is an owner of thoroughbredThoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorses
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Notably, as a co-owner with Mark and Jack Silverman, he won the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
with the colt Gilded Time
Gilded Time
Gilded Time is an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by Harry T. Mangurian, Jr., he was out of the mare Gilded Lilly and sired by Timeless Moment, a son of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Damascus...
. Milch owned outright Val Royal
Val Royal
Val Royal was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed successfully in France and the United States. Best known for winning the 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile, he was bred and raced by Jean-Luc Lagardere. Val Royal's dam was Vadlava, a daughter of the 1981 French Derby winner, Bikala...
who captured the 2001 Breeders' Cup Mile
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...
.
Television Credits
- Hill Street BluesHill Street BluesHill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
(1982-1987) - Bay City BluesBay City BluesBay City Blues is an American comedy-drama series that aired on NBC from October 1983 to November 1983. The series stars Michael Nouri, Dennis Franz, and Pat Corley, and was created and produced by Steven Bochco.-Synopsis:...
(1983) - Beverly Hills BuntzBeverly Hills BuntzBeverly Hills Buntz was a short-lived spinoff from Hill Street Blues. It aired on NBC during the 1987-88 season.-Overview:The show was a 30-minute 'dramedy', that was a hybrid between light private eye fare and a sit-com. The main character, Norman Buntz, was previously seen as a morally and...
(1987–1988) (Co-Creator, with Jeffrey LewisJeffrey LewisJeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
) - Capital NewsCapital NewsCapital News is a short-lived American drama series that aired on ABC in 1990. Starring Lloyd Bridges and Helen Slater, Capital News was created by David Milch and Christian Williams.-Synopsis:...
(1990) (Co-Creator, with Christian Williams) - L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
(1992) - Murder OneMurder One (TV series)Murder One is an American legal drama series that first aired on the ABC network in the United States in 1995. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.-Premise:...
(1995) - NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
(1993–2005) (Co-Creator, with Steven BochcoSteven BochcoSteven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
) - Brooklyn SouthBrooklyn SouthBrooklyn South is an American ensemble police drama series that aired on CBS for only one season during the 1997-98 television season. The series was co-created by Steven Bochco, Bill Clark, David Milch and William M. Finkelstein. Bochco is the creator of many well-known police dramas such as Hill...
(1997–1998) (Co-Creator, with Steven BochcoSteven BochcoSteven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
) - Total Security (1997) (Co-Creator, with Steven BochcoSteven BochcoSteven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
, Charles H. EgleeCharles H. EgleeCharles H. Eglee is an Emmy Award winning American film and television writer and producer. He worked extensively for Steven Bochco productions throughout the 1990s. For Bochco productions he co-created Byrds of Paradise with frequent collaborator Channing Gibson and co-created Murder One with...
, and Theresa RebeckTheresa RebeckTheresa Rebeck is an American playwright, television writer and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award.-Biography:...
) - Big AppleBig Apple (TV series)Big Apple is an American television drama series that was originally broadcast in the United States on CBS in 2001. The story centers on two New York City Police Department detectives Mooney and Trout working with the FBI to solve a murder with ties to organized crime...
(2001) (Creator) - DeadwoodDeadwood (TV series)Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
(2004–2006) - (Creator) - John from CincinnatiJohn from CincinnatiJohn from Cincinnati is an American television drama, set against the surfing community of Imperial Beach, California, that aired on HBO from June 10, 2007 to August 12, 2007. It is the result of a collaborative effort between writer/producer David Milch and author Kem Nunn, whose novels have been...
(2007) (Co-Creator, with Kem NunnKem NunnKem Nunn is an American fiction novelist, surfer, magazine and television writer from California. His novels have been described as "surf-noir" for their dark themes, political overtones and surf settings. He is the author of five novels, including his seminal surf novel Tapping the Source.He has...
) - Last of the Ninth (with Bill ClarkBill ClarkClark joined the New York City Police Department in 1969. He worked a special undercover assignment for two years before entering the Police Academy. In 1972 he earned his gold detective shield. On December 31, 1994, Clark retired from the Queens Homicide Detective Squad as a First Grade...
) (2009) - LuckLuck (TV series)Luck is an upcoming U.S. television series set to star Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte. Michael Mann will direct the pilot episode, which is based on a screenplay by David Milch...
(2011) (Co-Creator, with Michael MannMichael MannMichael Mann is the name of:*Michael Mann , musician and professor of German literature, son of Thomas Mann*Michael Mann , Anglican clergyman...
)
Awards and recognition
- 1983 Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series (Hill Street Blues) - 1994 Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
, Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (NYPD Blue, "4B or Not 4B") - 1995 Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, Best Drama Series (NYPD Blue) - 1995 Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
, Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay (NYPD Blue, "Simone Says") (shared with Steven Bochco and Walon GreenWalon GreenWalon Green is an American documentary film director and screenwriter for both TV and films. He is currently the showrunner/executive producer for the USA Network television series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Career:...
) - 2006 Austin Film FestivalAustin Film FestivalThe Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
, Outstanding Television Writer Award recipient
External links
- Profile: HBO
- David Milch article at Salon.com
- Milch at MIT
- David S. Milch at the NTRA
- The Idea of the Writer with David Milch: The Idea of the Writer A Lecture Series
- The Obvious Misfit The New Yorker on Milch
- Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield rebuttal to Milch's statement that George Custer was a psychopath