Mitchell Hurwitz

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Mitchell Hurwitz (born May 29, 1963) is an American television writer and producer. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom Arrested Development as well as the co-creator of The Ellen Show, and a contributor to The John Larroquette Show and The Golden Girls. He is a graduate of Georgetown University.

Contents 1 Birth and early life 2 Career 2.1 Arrested Development 2.2 Upcoming Projects 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Birth and early life

Hurwitz was born in Amarillo, Texas. He graduated from Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, CA.

[edit] Career

[edit] Arrested Development

Hurwitz was chosen by Ron Howard to create a sitcom about a rich dysfunctional family, which eventually turned into Arrested Development. Hurwitz wrote the pilot in 2002, which was filmed in March 2003. FOX added the show to its schedule in May. Although the show premiered to stunning reviews from television critics around the country, the show was plagued by low ratings throughout its three-season run. In July 2004, the show was nominated for 7 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 5, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. Hurwitz won two of the awards: Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (Pilot) and Outstanding Comedy Series, along with the other producers of the show.

In the second season, ratings decreased further and the show was cut down to 18 episodes instead of the planned 22 episodes. Nevertheless, the show was still critically acclaimed and was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards. Hurwitz won one (Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Righteous Brothers", which Hurwitz wrote along with Jim Vallely, Hurwitz's writing partner in many other Arrested Development-related projects) out of the two nominations he received (the second being Outstanding Comedy Series along with producers of the show). The award in the category of Outstanding Comedy Series went to Everybody Loves Raymond, which was in its final season.

In the show's third and final season, Hurwitz tried to keep Arrested Development on the air, but did not have the advertising funding to promote the series. The show was again cut down, from 22 episodes to 13. FOX announced the cancellation of the show after the airing of the final four episodes. After the series ended, Arrested Development was nominated for four Emmy awards, winning none. Hurwitz was nominated for two Emmys: Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the series finale: Development Arrested along with Chuck Tatham, James Valley and Richard Day, and Outstanding Comedy Series along with the other producers of the show.

[edit] Upcoming Projects

Among Hurwitz's current and ongoing projects are the US television adaptations of the British comedy shows The Thick of It^[1] (which was not picked up in the running for ABC's 2007-2008 TV season, though other networks such as HBO, Showtime and NBC have expressed interest^[2]) and Absolutely Fabulous^[3], in addition to FOX's animated comedy Sit Down, Shut Up, which debuted April 19, 2009 and still airs on Fox late Saturday nights . My World And Welcome To It is a 2009 CBS television pilot. Executive Producers are Jay Kogen, Kim Tannenbaum, Barry Sonnenfeld & Mitch Hurwitz. Comedy based on James Thurber's collection of essays about being a dad in the 1960s. It's based on an earlier series My World and Welcome to It. Production: Sony Pictures Television & Tantamount.

Happiness Isn't Everything^[4] is a new CBS show written by Mitchell Hurwitz and Jim Vallely. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, Jason Biggs, Ben Schwartz and Mary Steenburgen.

Also this fall, Hurwitz will be the recipient of the Outstanding Television Writer Award at the 16th Annual Austin Film Festival & Conference in Austin, TX in October 2009^[5]. Past Outstanding Television Writer Award Recipients include Greg Daniels, Glenn Gordon Caron, David Milch, David Chase, Tom Fontana, Gary David Goldberg, Darren Star, Garry Shandling, and Mike Judge.

He is also currently working on writing the Arrested Development movie script.

[edit] References

1. ^ "Sometimes buzz about TV pilots is just a lot of hot air". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/21/DDG0MPU2QM1.DTL. Retrieved 2007-05-27. 
2. ^ "Rejected by ABC, political satire sparks interest". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN0441749720070604?feedType=RSS. Retrieved 2007-06-04. 
3. ^ "Fox to redo 'Absolutely Fabulous'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117993547.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. Retrieved 2008-10-24. 
4. ^ "Happiness Isn't Everything, (Except When it Involves Mitch Hurwitz)". Jossip. http://www.jossip.com/happiness-isnt-everything-except-when-it-involves-mitch-hurwitz-20090316/. Retrieved 2009-05-27. 
5. ^ http://www.austinfilmfestival.com

[edit] External links

• Mitchell Hurwitz at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview at the Onion AV Club
• http://www.palestineherald.com/cnhi/palestineherald/features/local_story_202011305.html?keyword=topstory

v • d • e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Alex Reid (2001) · Larry Wilmore (2002) · Tucker Cawley (2003) · Mitchell Hurwitz (2004) · Mitchell Hurwitz / Jim Vallely (2005) · Greg Garcia (2006) · Greg Daniels (2007) · Tina Fey (2008) · Matt Hubbard (2009) Complete list: (1955–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–present)