Howard Gordon
Encyclopedia
Howard Gordon is an American
screenwriter and producer.
in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles
with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa
to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry with single episodes of ABC's
Spenser: For Hire
. Their Spenser work turned industry heads, and the pair joined the Emmy-nominated series Beauty and the Beast
as staff writers, and were later named producers
.
In 1990, the Gansa-Gordon team was signed to a two-year deal with Witt-Thomas Productions, during which they produced several pilots. One was an ABC project called Country Estates, which caught the attention of famed producer Chris Carter
.
Soon after, Carter invited Gordon and Gansa to join The X-Files
as supervising producers; Gordon wrote or co-wrote several scripts each season, before departing from the series in 1997 to pursue other projects.
After co-writing one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gordon created his own show, the short-lived Strange World
in 1999. Strange World went to seed 13 episodes in, but Gordon and Strange World writer Tim Minear
's services were quickly snapped up by Buffy creator Joss Whedon
on another project: Angel
. After two years with Angel, Gordon jumped ship in 2001 for FOX's
successful 24, where he would write several episodes in Seasons 1 & 2, then crafted the entire story arcs for Seasons 3 and 4. Gordon temporarily left 24 in the middle of the 2004 season to re-join Minear, this time as co-creator of another FOX
series, The Inside
. Despite The Inside 's cancellation and short run, talk circulated of including the two Minear-Gordon series, Strange World and The Inside, on a special DVD
set sometime in 2006.
Starting in 2006, Gordon became 24's executive producer and show-runner
.
He is the co-creator of the Showtime's television series Homeland
. He is also the executive producer and showrunner of the upcoming NBC television series Awake
created by Kyle Killen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter and producer.
Life and career
Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from PrincetonPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles
Los 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...
with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa
Alex Gansa
Alex Gansa is a screenwriter and producer.He produced and wrote a number of scripts for the Beauty and the Beast television series. He later worked as a writer and supervising producer on The X-Files in its first two seasons, and on Dawson's Creek in its third season...
to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry with single episodes of ABC's
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...
Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....
. Their Spenser work turned industry heads, and the pair joined the Emmy-nominated series Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (TV series)
Beauty and the Beast is an American drama series which first aired on CBS in 1987. Creator Ron Koslow's updated version of the fairy tale has a double focus: the relationship between Vincent , a mythic, noble man-beast, and his Catherine , a savvy assistant District attorney in New York; and a...
as staff writers, and were later named producers
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...
.
In 1990, the Gansa-Gordon team was signed to a two-year deal with Witt-Thomas Productions, during which they produced several pilots. One was an ABC project called Country Estates, which caught the attention of famed producer Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
.
Soon after, Carter invited Gordon and Gansa to join The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
as supervising producers; Gordon wrote or co-wrote several scripts each season, before departing from the series in 1997 to pursue other projects.
After co-writing one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gordon created his own show, the short-lived Strange World
Strange World (TV series)
Strange World is a short-lived American television program about military investigations into criminal abuses of science and technology. ABC commissioned thirteen episodes, of which only three aired in March, 1999, before they cancelled the program. By the time ABC officially axed the show, the...
in 1999. Strange World went to seed 13 episodes in, but Gordon and Strange World writer Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
's services were quickly snapped up by Buffy creator Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
on another project: Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. After two years with Angel, Gordon jumped ship in 2001 for FOX's
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
successful 24, where he would write several episodes in Seasons 1 & 2, then crafted the entire story arcs for Seasons 3 and 4. Gordon temporarily left 24 in the middle of the 2004 season to re-join Minear, this time as co-creator of another FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series, The Inside
The Inside
The Inside is an American crime drama television series created by Tim Minear and Howard Gordon and produced by Imagine Television. The Inside follows the work of the FBI's Los Angeles Violent Crimes Unit , a division dedicated to investigating particularly dangerous crimes. The Inside initially...
. Despite The Inside 's cancellation and short run, talk circulated of including the two Minear-Gordon series, Strange World and The Inside, on a special DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set sometime in 2006.
Starting in 2006, Gordon became 24's executive producer and show-runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
.
He is the co-creator of the Showtime's television series Homeland
Homeland (TV series)
Homeland is an American psychological thriller television series developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, based on the Israeli series Hatufim, also known as Prisoners of War, which was created by Gideon Raff...
. He is also the executive producer and showrunner of the upcoming NBC television series Awake
Awake (TV series)
Awake is an upcoming science fiction crime drama television series that will air on NBC starring Jason Isaacs. On May 16, 2011, NBC announced that the show would serve as a midseason replacement during the 2011–12 television season...
created by Kyle Killen.