A television program (usually television programme outside North America), also called television show, is a segment of content intended for broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.

A television series that is intended to comprise a limited number of episodes is usually called a miniseries or serial. Series without a fixed length are usually divided into ''seasons'' or ''series'', yearly or biannual installments of new episodes. While there is no defined length, US industry practice tends to favor longer seasons than those of some other countries.

A one-time broadcast may be called a "special", or particularly in the UK a "special episode". A television movie ("made-for-TV movie" or television film), is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than released in cinemas or direct-to-video, although many successful TV movies are later released on DVD.

A program can be either recorded—as on video tape or other various electronic media forms—or considered live television.

Program content[link]

Television programming may be fictional (as in comedies and dramas), or non-fictional (as in documentary, news, and reality television). It may be topical (as in the case of a local newscast and some made-for-television movies), or historical (as in the case of many documentaries and fictional series). They could be primarily instructional or educational, or entertaining as is the case in situation comedy and game shows.

A drama program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives and their adventures. With the exception of soap operas, many shows especially before the 1980s, remained static without story arcs, the main characters and the premise changed little. If some change happened to the characters lives during the episode, it was usually undone by the end. (Because of this, the episodes could be broadcast in any order.) Since the 1980s, there are many series that feature progressive change to the plot, the characters, or both.

Common television program periods include regular broadcasts (like news), series (usually seasonal and ongoing with a duration of only a few episodes to many seasons), or miniseries, which is an extended film, usually with a small predetermined number of episodes and a set plot and timeline. Miniseries usually range from about 3 to 10 hours in length. In the UK, the term "miniseries" is only usually used in reference to imported programmes, and such short-run series are usually called "serials".

Older American television shows began with a title sequence showing opening credits at the bottom lower third of the screen during the beginning, and included closing credits at the end of the show. However, beginning in the 1990s some shows began with a "cold open", followed by a title sequence and a commercial break. Many serial-type shows begin with a "Previously on..." (such as the series ''24'') introduction before the new episode. And, to save time, some shows omit the title sequence altogether, folding the names normally featured there into the opening credits. The title sequence has not been completely eliminated, however, as many major television series still use them.

While television series appearing on TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, their producers earn greater revenue when the program is sold into syndication. With the rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run of a program have become a significant revenue source as well. Many of the prime-time comedy shows and Saturday morning cartoons were digitally remastered for United States television around mid-May 2008, as there are more original and reissued DVD sets of television programs containing either entire seasons or complete series to come. Typically, a DVD of a series or TV movie may contain extended or additional scenes not shown during the broadcast, scenes not allowed for broadcast (due to censorship rule), or additional background information/documentaries.

Television has changed throughout the years, from wholesome family sitcoms and dramas of years ago, to the reality shows of today. When watching television became popular in the mid-20th century, the whole family watched one set together. Also, many channels have deviated from their original programming focus throughout the years because of channel drift.

Most television networks throughout the world are 'commercial', dependent on selling advertising time or acquiring sponsors, broadcasting executives' main concern over their programming is on audience size or ''eyeballs''. Once the number of 'free to air' stations was restricted by the availability of channel frequencies, but cable TV (outside the USA, satellite television) technology has allowed an expansion in the number of channels available to viewers (sometimes at premium rates) in a much more competitive environment.

Genres[link]

Scripted entertainment[link]

Animated

Award shows (partially scripted)

Drama—which includes:

* Action-adventure or Thriller

* Comedy-drama

* Family drama

* Legal drama

* Medical drama

* Police procedural

* Political drama

* Science-fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Supernatural drama

* Serial drama

* Soap opera

* Teen drama

Miniseries and Television movies

Comedy

* Mockumentary

* Satire

* Sitcom

* Sketch comedy

Unscripted entertainment[link]

Game shows

Reality

Talk shows

Informational[link]

Infomercials—paid advertising spots that are up to an hour long

News programs

Documentaries

News magazines—dealing with current affairs

Development[link]

United States[link]

When a person or company decides to create a new series, they develop the show's elements, consisting of the concept, the characters, the crew, and cast. Then they offer ("pitch") it to the various networks in an attempt to find one interested enough to order a prototype first episode of the series, known as a ''pilot.''

To create the pilot, the structure and team of the whole series must be put together. If the network likes the pilot, they pick up the show to air it the next season (usually Fall). Sometimes they save it for mid-season, or request rewrites and further review (known in the industry as ''Development hell''). Other times, they ''pass'' entirely, forcing the show's creator to "shop it around" to other networks. Many shows never make it past the pilot stage.

If the show is picked up, the network orders a "run" of episodes—usually only 13 episodes at first, though a season typically consists of at least 22 episodes. (The last nine episodes are sometimes called the "back nine"—borrowing the colloquial golf term).

The show hires a stable of writers, who usually work in parallel: the first writer works on the first episode, the second on the second episode, etc. When all the writers have been used, episode assignment starts again with the first writer. On other shows, however, the writers work as a team. Sometimes they develop story ideas individually, and pitch them to the show's creator, who folds them together into a script and rewrites them.

United Kingdom[link]

In contrast to the US model illustrated above, the UK procedure is operated on a sometimes similar, but much smaller scale.

The method of "team writing" is employed on some longer dramatic series (usually running up to a maximum of around 13 episodes). The idea for such a programme may be generated "in-house" by one of the networks; it could originate from an independent production company; it sometimes is a product of both. For example, the BBC's long-running soap opera ''EastEnders'' is wholly a BBC production, whereas its popular drama ''Life on Mars'' was developed by Kudos in association with the broadcaster.

However, there are still a significant number of programmes (usually sitcoms) that are built around just one or two writers and a small, close-knit production team. These are "pitched" in the traditional way, but since the creator(s) handle all the writing requirements, there is a run of six or seven episodes per series once approval has been given. Many of the most popular British comedies have been made this way, including ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (albeit with an exclusive team of six writer-performers), ''Fawlty Towers'', ''Blackadder'' and ''The Office''.

Production[link]

The executive producer, often the show's creator, is in charge of running the show. They pick the crew and help cast the actors, approve and sometimes write series plots (some even write or direct major episodes). Various other producers help to ensure that the show runs smoothly.

As with filmmaking or other electronic media production, production of an individual episode can be divided into three parts. These are:

Pre-production[link]

Pre-production begins when a script is approved. A director is chosen to plan the episode's final look.

Pre-production tasks include storyboarding, construction of sets, props, and costumes, casting guest stars, budgeting, acquiring resources like lighting, special effects, stunts, etc. Once the show is planned, it must then be scheduled; scenes are often filmed out of sequence, guest actors or even regulars may only be available at certain times. Sometimes the principal photography of different episodes must be done at the same time, complicating the schedule (a guest star might shoot scenes from two episodes on the same afternoon). Complex scenes are translated from storyboard to animatics to further clarify the action. Scripts are adjusted to meet altering requirements.

Some shows have a small stable of directors, but also usually rely on outside directors. Given the time constraints of broadcasting, a single show might have two or three episodes in pre-production, one or two episodes in principal photography, and a few more in various stages of post-production. The task of directing is complex enough that a single director can usually not work on more than one episode or show at a time, hence the need for multiple directors.

Principal photography[link]

Principal photography is the actual filming of the episode. Director, actors and crew gather at a television studio or on location for filming or videoing a scene. A scene is further divided into shots, which should be planned during pre-production. Depending on scheduling, a scene may be shot in non-sequential order of the story. Conversations may be filmed twice from different camera angles, often using stand-ins, so one actor might perform all their lines in one set of shots, and then the other side of the conversation is filmed from the opposite perspective. To complete a production on time, a second unit may be filming a different scene on another set or location at the same time, using a different set of actors, an assistant director, and a second unit crew. A director of photography supervises the lighting of each shot to ensure consistency.

Post production[link]

Once principal photography is complete, producers coordinate tasks to begin the video editing. Visual and digital video effects are added to the film; this is often outsourced to companies specializing in these areas. Often music is performed with the conductor using the film as a time reference (other musical elements may be previously recorded). An editor cuts the various pieces of film together, adds the musical score and effects, determines scene transitions, and assembles the completed show.

Budgets and revenues[link]

In the United States, the average broadcast network drama costs $3 million an episode to produce, while cable dramas cost $2 million on average. The pilot episode may be more expensive than a regular episode. In 2004, ''Lost'''s two-hour pilot cost $10–$14 million, in 2008 ''Fringe'''s two-hour pilot cost $10 million, and in 2010, ''Boardwalk Empire'' was $18 million for the first episode. In 2011, ''Game of Thrones'' was $5–$10 million, ''Pan Am'' cost an estimated $10 million, while ''Terra Nova'''s two-hour pilot was between $10 to $20 million.

Deficit financing is the term used to describe how many scripted network television shows in the Unites States are financed. A studio finances the production cost of a show and a network pays a license fee to the studio for the right to air the show. This license fee does not cover the show's production costs, leading to the deficit. Although the studio does not make its money back in the original airing of the show, it retains ownership of the show. This ownership retention allows the studio to make its money back and earn a profit through syndication and DVD and Blu-ray disc sales. This system places most of the financial risk on the studios, however a show that is a hit in the syndication and home video markets can more than make up for the misses. Although the deficit financing system places minimal financial risk on the networks, they lose out on the future profits of big hits, since they are only licensing the shows.

Costs are recouped mainly by advertising revenues for broadcast networks and some cable channels, while other cable channels depend on subscription revenues. In general, advertisers, and consequently networks that depend on advertising revenues, are more interested in the number of viewers within the 18–49 age range than the total number of viewers. Advertisers are willing to pay more to advertise on shows successful with young adults because they watch less television and are harder to reach than older adults. According to ''Advertising Age'', during the 2007–08 season, ''Grey's Anatomy'' was able to charge $419,000 per commercial, compared to only $248,000 for a commercial during ''CSI'', despite CSI having almost five million more viewers on average. Due to its strength in young demos, ''Friends'' was able to charge almost three times as much for a commercial as ''Murder, She Wrote'', even though the two series had similar total viewer numbers during the seasons they were on the air together. ''Glee'' and ''The Office'' drew fewer total viewers than ''NCIS'' during the 2009–10 season, but earned an average of $272,694 and $213,617 respectively, compared to $150,708 for NCIS.

Distribution[link]

After production, the show is turned over to the television network, which sends it out to its affiliate stations, which broadcast it in the specified broadcast programming time slot. If the Nielsen ratings are good, the show is kept alive as long as possible. If not, the show is usually canceled. The show's creators are then left to shop around remaining episodes, and the possibility of future episodes, to other networks. On especially successful series, the producers sometimes call a halt to a series on their own like ''Seinfeld'', ''The Cosby Show'', ''Corner Gas'', and ''M*A*S*H'' and end it with a concluding episode, which sometimes is a big series finale.

On rare occasions, a series that has not attracted particularly high ratings and has been canceled can be given a reprieve if DVD sales have been particularly strong. This has happened in the cases of ''Family Guy'' in the US and ''Peep Show'' in the UK.

If the show is popular or lucrative, and a number of episodes (usually 100 episodes or more) are made, it goes into broadcast syndication (in the USA) where broadcast to the program rights are then resold.

== == The terminology used to define a set of episodes produced by a television series varies from country to country.

North American usage [link]

The term "series", in North American usage, refers to a connected set of television program episodes that run under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons. A new series is often ordered (funded) for just the first 10 to 13 episodes, to gauge the audience interest. If it is "picked up", the season is completed to the regular 20 to 26 episodes. The term "midseason replacement" usually refers to an inexpensive short-run (10–13 episode) show designed to take the place of an original series that failed to garner an audience and has not been picked up. The term "series finale" can lead to confusion outside of North America. A series finale is the last show of the series before the show is no longer produced. (In the UK, it means the end of a season.)

In North America the term "television season" is used inconsistently. A "full season" typically runs from September through May, with a hiatus between December and February. This broadcast programming schedule typically includes 20 to 26 episodes. A full season is sometimes split into two separate units (confusingly also termed seasons) with one before and one after the hiatus. These smaller "seasons" usually contain half the number of episodes (10–13).

Since the 2000s, these shorter seasons have been referred to as ".5" or half seasons, where the run of shows between September and December is labeled "Season N", and the second run between February and May labeled "Season N.5". This is typically done to increase DVD sales of the show. Distributors release the first half of the season in stores just before the second half first airs to increase interest in the season's second half. Examples of this include the 2004 incarnation of ''Battlestar Galactica'', ABC's ''FlashForward'', and ABC Family's ''Make It or Break It''.

UK and Australia usage [link]

In the United Kingdom and other countries, these sets of episodes are referred to as a "series". In Australia, the broadcasting may be different to North American usage, however, the terms "series" and "season" are the same. For example, ''Battlestar Galactica'' has an original series as well as a remake, both are considered different series with their own number of individual seasons. It helps to avoid much confusion when talking about a TV Series.

Australian television does not follow "seasons" in the way that US television does. So there is no "Fall Season" or "Fall schedule", for example. For many years popular night time dramas in Australia would run much of the year, and would only go into recess over the summer period (December–February) where ratings are not taken. Therefore popular dramas would usually run February–November each year. This schedule was used in the 1970s for popular dramas including ''Number 96''. ''Neighbours'' and other dramas continue this routine as of 2011. Australian situation comedy series usually have seasons of about 13 episodes, and might premiere at any month between February and November.

British shows have tended toward shorter series in recent years. For example, the first series of long-running science fiction show ''Doctor Who'' in 1963 featured forty-two 25-minute episodes, which had been reduced gradually to fourteen 25-minute episodes in 1989. The revival of ''Doctor Who'' has comprised thirteen 45-minute installments. However, there are some series in the UK that have a larger number of episodes, for example ''Waterloo Road'' started with 8–12 episodes but from series three onward, it increased to 20 episodes, and season seven will contain 30 episodes. Recently, American non-cable networks have also begun to experiment with shorter seasons for some programs, particularly reality shows such as ''Survivor''. However, they often air two seasons per year, resulting in roughly the same number of episodes per year as a drama.

This is a reduction from the 1950s, in which many American shows (e.g., ''The Twilight Zone'') had between 29 and 39 episodes per season. Actual storytelling time within a commercial television hour has also gradually reduced over the years, from 50 minutes out of every 60 to the current 44 (and even less on some networks), beginning in the early 21st century.

Japanese usage [link]

The Japanese have sometimes subdivided television series and dramas into , from the French term ''cours'' for ''course,'' which is a three-month period usually of 13 episodes. Each ''kūru'' generally has its own opening and ending image sequence and song, recordings of which are often sold. The number of episodes permitted per season ranges from three to 65. (See also Japanese television programs.)

In the United States, in general, dramas usually last 44 minutes (an hour with advertisements), while sitcoms last 22 (30 with advertisements). However, with the rise of cable networks, especially pay ones, series and episode lengths have been changing, with 55–60 minutes per episode, and shorter seasons overall.

See also[link]

:Category:Television schedules (by country and year)

List of animated television series

List of television programs by name in alphabetical order

Lists of television programs

Network programming (television)

Radio programming

Television advertisement

References[link]

External links [link]

FCC

Category:History of television

ar:برامج تلفزيون bg:Телевизионно предаване cs:Televizní program cy:Rhaglen deledu de:Rundfunkprogramm el:Τηλεοπτικό πρόγραμμα es:Programa (difusión) eu:Telebista-saio fa:برنامه تلویزیونی fr:Émission de télévision ko:텔레비전 프로그램 id:Acara televisi is:Sjónvarpsþáttur it:Programmazione televisiva he:תוכנית טלוויזיה kk:Трансляция hu:Televíziós sorozat mk:Телевизиска програма ms:Rancangan televisyen nah:Īxiptlayōltzintli nl:Televisieprogramma ja:テレビ番組 no:TV-program pl:Program telewizyjny (audycja) pt:Programa de televisão ru:Телевизионная программа simple:Television programme fi:Televisio-ohjelma sv:TV-program th:รายการโทรทัศน์ yi:טעלעוויזיע פראגראם zh:电视节目

Name	J. J. Abrams
Birth name	Jeffrey Jacob Abrams
Birth date	June 27, 1966
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre	Science fiction, Action/Adventure, crime, thriller
Occupation	Film and television producer,director, screenwriter, actorand composer.
Years active	1990–present
Spouse	Katie McGrath
Ethnicity	German, Jewish
Children	3}}

Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer.

He is well known for his work in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series ''Felicity'' (1998–2002). He also created ''Alias'' (2001–2006) and co-created ''Lost'' (2004–2010), ''Fringe'' (2008–present), ''Undercovers'' (2010) and produced the television series ''Person of Interest'' (2011–present) and ''Alcatraz'' (2012). Abrams directed the films ''Mission: Impossible III'' (2006), ''Star Trek'' (2009), and ''Super 8'' (2011), and produced the films ''Cloverfield'' (2008), ''Morning Glory'' (2010) and ''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' (2011). Many of the films he directed/produced are by Paramount, while his television series were co-produced by either Warner Bros. or ABC Studios.

Early life[link]

Abrams was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, where he attended Palisades Charter High School. He is the son of television producer Gerald W. Abrams and executive producer Carol Abrams. Abrams is Jewish, and attended Sarah Lawrence College.

Career[link]

Abrams's first job in the movie business started when he was 16 when he wrote music for Don Dohler's film ''Nightbeast''. During his senior year at college, he teamed with Jill Mazursky to write a feature film treatment. Purchased by Touchstone Pictures, the treatment was the basis for ''Taking Care of Business'', Abrams's first produced film, which starred Charles Grodin and Jim Belushi. He followed that up with ''Regarding Henry'', starring Harrison Ford, and ''Forever Young'', starring Mel Gibson.

Abrams collaborated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay on the 1998 film, ''Armageddon''. That same year, he made his first foray into television with ''Felicity'', which ran for four seasons on The WB Network, serving as the show's co-creator (with Matt Reeves) and executive producer. He also composed its opening theme music.

Under his production company Bad Robot, which he founded with Bryan Burk in 2001, Abrams created and executive-produced ABC's ''Alias'' and is co-creator (along with Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Lieber) and executive producer of ''Lost''. He later co-wrote the teleplay for ''Lost''s third season premiere "A Tale of Two Cities". As with ''Felicity'', Abrams also composed the opening theme music for ''Alias'' and ''Lost.''

In 2001, Abrams co-wrote and produced the thriller ''Joy Ride'', and wrote an unproduced screenplay for a fifth Superman film in 2002.

In 2006, he served as executive producer of ''What About Brian'' and ''Six Degrees'', also on ABC. Abrams directed and wrote the two-part pilot for ''Lost'' and remained active producer for the first half of the season. That same year he made his feature directorial debut in 2006 with ''Mission: Impossible III'', starring Tom Cruise.

Abrams spoke at the TED conference in 2007.

In 2008, Abrams produced the monster movie, ''Cloverfield''. In 2009, he directed the science fiction film ''Star Trek'', which he produced with ''Lost'' co-creator Damon Lindelof. While it was speculated that they would be writing and producing an adaptation of Stephen King's ''The Dark Tower'' series of novels, they publicly stated in November 2009 that they were no longer looking to take on that project.

In 2008, he co-created, executive produced, and co-wrote (along with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) the FOX science-fiction series ''Fringe'', for which he composed the theme music for as well.

Abrams is featured in the 2009 MTV Movie Awards 1980s-style digital short "Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions", with Andy Samberg and Will Ferrell, in which he plays a keyboard solo.

The NBC network picked up Abrams's ''Undercovers'' as its first new drama series for the 2010–11 season. However, it was subsequently cancelled by NBC in November 2010.

He wrote and directed the Paramount supernatural blockbuster ''Super 8'', while co-producing with Steven Spielberg and Bryan Burk; it was released on June 10, 2011.

Abrams is currently directing the untitled sequel to ''Star Trek''. The film is scheduled for release in May 2013.

Under development (due in 2013) is Abrams' film with Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Productions, ''Mystery on Fifth Avenue''. It is based on the ''New York Times'' article "Mystery on Fifth Avenue" about the renovation of an 8.5 million dollar co-op, a division of property originally owned by E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post. In 2008, it was widely reported Abrams purchased the rights to the ''Times'' article for six figures, and enlisted comedy writers Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky to write the adaptation. According to the article, a wealthy couple Steven B. Klinsky and Maureen Sherry purchased the apartment in 2003 and live there with their four children. Soon after purchasing the apartment, they hired young architectural designer Eric Clough, who devised an elaborately clever "scavenger hunt" built into the apartment that involved dozens of historical figures, a fictional book and a soundtrack, woven throughout the apartment in puzzles, riddles, secret panels, compartments, and hidden codes, without the couple's knowledge. The family didn't discover the embedded mystery until months after moving into the apartment. After Abrams purchased the article, Clough left him an encrypted message in the wall tiles of a Christian Louboutin shoe store he designed in West Hollywood.

Personal life[link]

Abrams is married to public relations exec Katie McGrath and has three children: sons August and Henry and daughter Gracie. He resides in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Campaigns he has contributed to include those of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Bradley, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Bob Casey, Jr., Mark Udall, Harry Reid, Russ Feingold, Patrick J. Kennedy, and Tim Kaine. However, he has also donated $2,000 to the Republican Robert Vasquez.

Filmography[link]

Feature credits[link]

! Year	! Film	! Director	! (Executive)Producer	! Writer	! Notes
1990	''Taking Care of Business''
1991	''Regarding Henry''
1992
1996	''The Pallbearer''
1997
''The Suburbans''
2001
2006	''Mission: Impossible III''
2008	''Cloverfield''
2009
2010
''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol''
2013	''Untitled Star Trek sequel''				In production

Television credits[link]

! Year	! TV Program	! Credit	! Notes
1998-2002		creator, writer, executive producer, director, co-composer of theme music
2001-2006		creator, writer, executive producer, director, theme music composer
2004-2010		co-creator, executive producer, writer, theme music composer, director
2007		guest director
	''What About Brian''	executive producer
''Six Degrees''	executive producer
2006	''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''	guest director
2008-present		co-creator, executive producer, theme music composer, writer
2009		executive producer, writer, director
2010		co-creator, executive producer, writer, director, theme music composer
2011-present		executive producer
		executive producer, theme music composer
''Shelter''	executive producer	pilot
	executive producer	pilot

Awards and nominations[link]

! Year	! Award	! Category	! Nominated work	! Result
	Razzie Award	Worst Screenplay	''Armageddon''
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series	''Alias''
	PGA Award	Best Drama	''Alias''
		Top TV Series	''Lost''
Directors Guild of America	Best Director	''Lost''
	Best Director	''Lost''
Outstanding Drama Series	''Lost''
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series	''Lost''
		Top TV Series	''Lost''
PGA Awards	Best Drama	''Lost''
Writers Guild of America	Dramatic Series	''Lost''
	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	Best Director	''Mission: Impossible III''
BAFTA Award	Best International	''Lost''
PGA Awards	Best Drama	''Lost''
Writers Guild of America	Dramatic Series	''Lost''
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Drama Series	''Lost''
	Emmy Award	Outstanding Drama Series	''Lost''
	Long Form	''Fringe''
New Series	''Fringe''
	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	Best Director	''Star Trek''
Emmy Award	Outstanding Drama Series	''Lost''
Empire Awards	Best Director	''Star Trek''
PGA Awards	Theatrical Motion Picture	''Star Trek''
SFX Award	Best Director	''Star Trek''
		Best Director	''Super 8''
Best Writing	''Super 8''
SFX Award	Best Director	''Super 8''

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1966 births Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American Jews Category:American screenwriters Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:Jewish American writers Category:Living people Category:Sarah Lawrence College alumni Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners Category:Film directors from New York City

ar:جاي جاي أبرامز be-x-old:Джэфры Джэйкаб Абрамс bg:Джей Джей Ейбрамс ca:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams cs:J. J. Abrams cy:J. J. Abrams da:J. J. Abrams de:J. J. Abrams et:J. J. Abrams el:Τζέφρεϊ Τζ. Άμπραμς es:J. J. Abrams eo:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams fa:جی. جی. آبرامز fr:J. J. Abrams gl:J. J. Abrams ko:J. J. 에이브럼스 it:J. J. Abrams he:ג'יי ג'יי אברהמס ka:ჯეი ჯეი აბრამსი lt:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams hu:J.J. Abrams nl:J.J. Abrams ja:J・J・エイブラムス no:J.J. Abrams pl:Jeffrey Abrams pt:J. J. Abrams ro:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams ru:Абрамс, Джеффри Джейкоб sk:J. J. Abrams sl:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams sr:Џеј-Џеј Ејбрамс fi:J. J. Abrams sv:J.J. Abrams th:เจ.เจ. แอบรัมส์ tr:J. J. Abrams uk:Джефрі Джейкоб Абрамс zh:J·J·艾布斯

name	Matt LeBlanc
birth name	Matthew Steven LeBlanc
birth date	July 25, 1967
birth place	Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
occupation	Actor, producer
years active	1987–present
spouse	Melissa McKnight(2003-2006; divorced; 1 child)
website	}}

Matthew Steven "Matt" LeBlanc (born July 25, 1967) is an American actor, best known for his role as Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcoms ''Friends'' and its spin-off ''Joey''.

In 2011, LeBlanc began starring as a fictional version of himself in ''Episodes'', a BBC Two/Showtime television series created by ''Friends'' co-creator David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik. LeBlanc won a Golden Globe award for his work on ''Episodes'', after being nominated three times for his work as Joey Tribbiani on ''Friends''.

Early life[link]

LeBlanc was born in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother, Patricia (née Grossman), was an office manager, and his father, Paul LeBlanc, was a mechanic. His mother was of Italian descent and his father was of French-Canadian ancestry.

Career[link]

In 1988, he landed his first regular TV role on the drama ''TV 101'' which ran for one season. In 1990 he starred in Jon Bon Jovi's music video "Miracle," from ''Young Guns II'' sound track. In 1991 he starred in the music video for the Alanis Morissette single "Walk Away". He also appeared in the last seconds of the music video for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Into the Great Wide Open." In 1991, he went on to star in a spin-off of ''Married... with Children'' titled ''Top of the Heap''. The Fox series lasted seven episodes airing in April and May 1991. In 1994, he starred in Bob Seger's "Night Moves" music video.

LeBlanc found success in the role of Joey Tribbiani on ''Friends'', and went on to play this character for twelve years — ten seasons of ''Friends'' and two seasons of ''Joey''. ''Friends'' was successful and LeBlanc, along with his co-stars, gained wide recognition among viewers.

LeBlanc has appeared in the films ''Ed'' (1996), ''Lost in Space'' (1998), ''Charlie's Angels'' (2000), and ''All the Queen's Men'' (2001).

In 2000, LeBlanc starred in Bon Jovi's music video "Say It Isn't So".

Matt LeBlanc's production company, Fort Hill Productions, co-produced the made-for-TV movie, ''The Prince'' in 2006.

In 2011, LeBlanc began appearing as a fictional version of himself in ''Episodes'', a BBC/Showtime television series about a British television series that is remade for an American audience. The series is written by ''Friends'' co-creator David Crane and his partner Jeffrey Klarik.. LeBlanc won the 2012 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy for his performance. The second season of ''Episodes'' began airing on BBC Two on 11 May 2012.

LeBlanc appeared in the second episode of the eighteenth series of ''Top Gear'', where he set the fastest time of 1:42.1 in the Kia Cee'd, narrowly beating previous holder Rowan Atkinson by 0.1 seconds.

Personal life[link]

In May 2003, LeBlanc married Melissa McKnight, an ex-model. McKnight and LeBlanc had been introduced in 1997 by her friend Kelly Phillips, wife of actor Lou Diamond Phillips, and LeBlanc proposed to her a year later. Their daughter Marina, born in 2004, began suffering seizures at age eight months, which affected her motor skills. By the time she was two years old, however, the condition, thought to be a form of dysplasia, had largely receded.

In June 2005, LeBlanc admitted to "careless and irresponsible" behavior with a stripper during a motorcycle trip to Canada. LeBlanc and McKnight separated on January 1, 2006. By that time, LeBlanc was involved in a relationship with actress Andrea Anders, who played his neighbor on ''Joey''. In March of that year, LeBlanc filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce became final on October 6, 2006.

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1990	''Anything to Survive''	Billy Barton	Television filmas Matthew LeBlanc
1993	''Grey Knight''	Terhune	US video title: ''Ghost Brigade''International title: ''The Killing Box''
1993	''Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick''	Kyle
1994	''Reform School Girl''	Vince	Television film
1996		Jack 'Deuce' Cooper
1997	''Red Shoe Diaries 7: Burning Up''	Jed
1998		Major Don West
1993	''Lookin' Italian''	Anthony Manetti	US video title: ''Showdown''
2000		Jason Gibbons
2001	''All the Queen's Men''	O'Rourke
2003	''Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle''	Jason Gibbons
2006	''The Prince''		Television film, producer
2010			Executive producer

Television[link]

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1987	''Doll Day Afternoon''	GI Joe	TV short
1988–1989	''TV 101''	Chuck Bender	13 episodes
1989	''Just the Ten of Us''	Todd Murphy	Episodes: "Quarterback Sneak"; "That Championship Season"
1990		Tommy	Episode: "A Shave and a Haircut, Two Bites"
1991	''Top of the Heap''	Vinnie Verducci	7 episodes
1991	''Married... with Children''	Vinnie Verducci	Episodes: "Oldies But Young 'Uns"; "Top of the Heap"; "Kelly Does Hollywood: Part 1"
1991		Vinnie Verducci	7 episodes
1991	''Red Shoe Diaries''	Tom's Brother	Episodes: "Just Like That"; "Kidnap"
1993	''Class of '96''	Frank Goodman	Episode: "Bright Smoke, Cold Fire"
1994–2004	''Friends''	Joey Tribbiani	236 episodes
2004–2006		Joey Tribbiani	46 episodes
2011–Present		Fictional version of himself	16 episodes
2012		Himself	1 episode
2012	''The Graham Norton Show''	Himself, Guest	2 episodes

Awards and nominations[link]

! Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
1995	Screen Actors Guild Awards		Friends
2002	Emmy Awards		Friends
2002	Golden Globe Awards		Friends
2002	Teen Choice Awards	TV Choice Actor	Friends
2003	Emmy Awards		Friends
2003	Golden Globe Awards		Friends
2004	Emmy Awards		Friends
2004	Golden Globe Awards
2005	People's Choice Awards	"Favorite Male Television Star	Friends
2011	Emmy Awards
2012	Golden Globe Awards

References[link]

External links[link]

Matt LeBlanc at Emmys.com

Category:1967 births Category:Actors from Massachusetts Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American people of French-Canadian descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Newton, Massachusetts

ar:مات لوبلان bg:Мат Лебланк ca:Matt LeBlanc cs:Matt LeBlanc cy:Matt LeBlanc da:Matt LeBlanc de:Matt LeBlanc et:Matt LeBlanc es:Matt LeBlanc fa:مت له بلانک fr:Matt LeBlanc gl:Matt LeBlanc ko:맷 르블랑 hr:Matt LeBlanc id:Matt LeBlanc is:Matt LeBlanc it:Matt LeBlanc he:מאט לה-בלאנק lv:Mets Leblāns hu:Matt LeBlanc nl:Matt LeBlanc ja:マット・ルブランク no:Matt LeBlanc pl:Matt LeBlanc pt:Matt LeBlanc ro:Matt LeBlanc ru:Леблан, Мэтт sq:Matt LeBlanc simple:Matt LeBlanc sr:Met Leblank fi:Matt LeBlanc sv:Matt LeBlanc tl:Matt LeBlanc th:แมตต์ เลอบลังก์ tr:Matt LeBlanc uk:Метт Леблан zh:麥特·勒布郎