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Chris Sheridan (writer)

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For the sportswriter, see Chris Sheridan (sportswriter).

Chris Sheridan
Sheridan at the 2024 WonderCon
Sheridan at the 2024 WonderCon
BornChristopher Sheridan
(1967-09-19) September 19, 1967 (age 57)
Philippines
OccupationScreenwriter, producer, voice actor
NationalityAmerican
Period1992–present
GenreHumor
Children1

Christopher Sheridan (born September 19, 1967) is an American television writer, producer, and occasional voice actor. Born in the Philippines, Sheridan grew up in New Hampshire. He attended Gilford High School, where he decided that he wanted to become a writer. After graduating from Union College, he moved back to his home, where he worked at several short-term jobs before relocating to California to start his career. His first job came in 1992 when he was hired as a writers' assistant for the Fox sitcom Shaky Ground. Following that, he was hired as an assistant on Living Single, a Fox sitcom, where he was eventually promoted to writer. He stayed with the show until its cancellation in 1998.

After the show was cancelled and Sheridan became unemployed, he began writing for the animated television series Family Guy. Although initially skeptical, he accepted the job as he did not have other options. Sheridan was one of the first writers hired, and has continued to write for the show through its eleventh season. For his work on Family Guy, he has been nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards, a British Academy Television Award, and has won a DVD Exclusive Award. Sheridan has also written episodes of Titus and Yes, Dear. He has one daughter.

Early life

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Christopher Sheridan[1] was born on September 19, 1967, in the Philippines.[2][3] He grew up in New Hampshire[1][4] and attended Gilford High School. While there, Sheridan discovered he enjoyed writing, but had not considered a career in it. After graduating from the school in 1985,[1] Sheridan went to Union College, where he majored in English and took every creative writing class available.[5] After he met a person who had written a screenplay, Sheridan decided that he wanted to have a career in screenwriting.[1]

After receiving his college degree in 1989, Sheridan returned to his home. He held various jobs, including substitute teaching, bartending, and working in his father's variety store.[1] Sheridan eventually decided that if he wanted to establish a career, he had to relocate, so he moved to California in 1992. Sheridan stayed at a friend's house, and used a payphone located on Sunset Boulevard to call interested employers.[1]

Career and later life

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In 1992, Sheridan was hired as an assistant writer for the sitcom Shaky Ground.[5] During his time on the show, he also worked elsewhere as a freelance writer.[1] Following that show's cancellation in 1993, Sheridan was hired as an assistant on the show Living Single, where he wrote four episodes. Sheridan was promoted to writer, and worked on the show until it was cancelled in 1998.[5] Shortly after, Sheridan received a call from his agent, where he was told that the only show with an open spot was Family Guy, which Sheridan did not want to do, thinking that writing for an animated show would end his career.[1]

After meeting series creator Seth MacFarlane, Sheridan was hired as one of the series' first writers.[1] The first episode he wrote was "I Never Met the Dead Man", the second episode of the first season, which premiered on April 11, 1999.[6] Sheridan also wrote the second season premiere "Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater."[5] He later went on to write the episodes "I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar",[7] "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'",[8] "He's Too Sexy for His Fat",[9] and "Lethal Weapons".[10]

Due to low ratings, the cancellation of Family Guy was announced for the end of its second season, though it was unexpectedly continued. While the show was on hiatus, Sheridan became a writer for the sitcom Titus and also wrote several episodes for the sitcom Yes, Dear.[1][5] He returned to the show after it was revived for a fourth season, writing "The Fat Guy Strangler".[11] Sheridan would later write the episodes "Peter's Daughter", "Peter-assment" and "Burning Down the Bayit". He penned the Road to... episode "Road to the North Pole" along with Danny Smith, and wrote the episode "Save the Clam". Sheridan continues to write for the show, with his most recent credit being the seventeenth season episode "Dead Dog Walking". Sheridan also infrequently provides voices for several small characters on the show, such as recurring character James William Bottomtooth III.[1] In 2011, Sheridan wrote a television pilot entitled Lovelives for NBC. It was to star Ryan Hansen.[12] Although a pilot was ordered and filmed, it did not continue.[13]

Sheridan has received several nominations for awards for his work on Family Guy. At the 52nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Sheridan was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for writing the song "We Only Live to Kiss Your Ass." He wrote that "It was a strange experience at the Emmys ... my song was called, 'We Only Live to Kiss Your Ass.' I laughed out loud when the presenter had to list that song as one of the nominations alongside normal songs written by people like Marvin Hamlisch."[5] Along with the other producers of the series, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in 2005 for "North by North Quahog" at the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards,[14] and again in 2006 for "PTV" at the 58th.[15] Also in 2006, Sheridan won a DVD Exclusive Award for writing the "Stewie B. Goode" segment of the Family Guy direct[16] to video film Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. He shared the award with writer Gary Janetti.[citation needed] 2008 saw Sheridan receive another Outstanding Animated Program nomination, for "Blue Harvest", at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.[17] 2008 also saw him receive a nomination for a British Academy Television Award for Best International and in 2009 he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards; both awards were for Family Guy in general.[18][19]

Sheridan splits his time between Los Angeles and Connecticut, and has a daughter.[4][5] When asked if being a parent affected his style of humor, Sheridan responded that he found himself "a little less forgiving of pedophile jokes."[4]

He created the show Resident Alien[20] based on a comic of the same name.

Filmography

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Year Work Role
1992 Shaky Ground Writer's assistant
1995–97 Living Single Writer (wrote episodes "The Handyman Can", "Dear John", "The Clown That Roared", and "High Anxiety")
1999–2003; 2005–22 Family Guy Writer, executive story editor, voice actor, co-producer, executive producer & consulting producer (wrote episodes "I Never Met the Dead Man", "Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater",
"I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar", "If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'", "He's Too Sexy for His Fat",
"Lethal Weapons", "Peter's Daughter", "Peter-assment", "Road to the North Pole", "Burning Down the Bayit", "Save the Clam", "Brian's a Bad Father", "A House Full of Peters", "'Family Guy' Through the Years", "Dead Dog Walking", and #342: "Rich Old Stewie")
2000–02 Titus Writer (wrote episodes "The Perfect Thanksgiving", "Deprogramming Erin", "Hard-Ass", "Racing in the Streets" and "Errrr")
2002–03 Yes, Dear Writer (wrote episodes "Wife Swapping" and "Savitsky's Tennis Club")
2005 Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Writer (wrote segment "Stewie B. Goode")
2011 Lovelives Writer (wrote pilot)
2021 Resident Alien Creator

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Nominated work Result
2000 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics Family Guy for "We Only Live To Kiss Your Ass" Nominated[5]
2005 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program Family Guy for "North by North Quahog" Nominated[21]
2006 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program Family Guy for "PTV" Nominated[22]
2006 DVD Exclusive Award for Best Screenplay Family Guy for "Stewie B. Goode" Won[23]
2008 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program Family Guy for "Blue Harvest" Nominated[24]
2008 British Academy Television Award for Best International Family Guy Nominated[18]
2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series Family Guy Nominated[19]
2021 Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Cable Series - Comedy Resident Alien Won[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Haas, Harrison (3 May 2010). "Love of writing led to 'Family Guy' gig". Foster's. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Chris Sheridan". Zap 2 it. TMS. Archived from the original on 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  3. ^ "Chris Sheridan – IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Nearing, Brian (31 May 2009). "Union guy is "Family Guy"". Times Union. p. C1. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Behind the Scenes with Chris Sheridan '89". Union College Magazine. Union College. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Family Guy — I Never Met the Dead Man Cast and Crew". Yahoo! TV. Yahoo! Inc. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Family Guy: I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar". All Movie Guide. Answers.com. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  8. ^ "Family Guy: If I'm Dyin', I'm Lyin'". All Movie Guide. Answers.com. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  9. ^ "Family Guy: He's Too Sexy for His Fat". All Movie Guide. Answers.com. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  10. ^ "Family Guy: Lethal Weapons". All Movie Guide. Answers.com. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  11. ^ Sheridan, Chris (2005). Family Guy season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Fat Guy Strangler" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "'Party Down' Alum Ryan Hansen To Star In NBC Comedy Pilot 'Lovelives'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  13. ^ "Shows A-Z – lovelives on nbc". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  14. ^ Staff (July 19, 2002), "Prime-time Emmy nominations", The Star-Ledger, p. 034
  15. ^ Associated Press (August 27, 2006), "Fast Facts: 2006 Emmy Nominations", Fox News
  16. ^ "Family Guy Direct". Family Guy Direct.
  17. ^ Wortham, Jenna. "Family Guy Finds Emmy Loophole With Star Wars Parody". Wired. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  18. ^ a b "Television in 2008". British Academy Television Awards. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Family Guy – Cast, Credits and Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  20. ^ Duguay, Rob. "Brown Bird's music lives on in Syfy series 'Resident Alien'". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Emmy 2005 Nominees part 2". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  22. ^ "2005 – 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  23. ^ "DVD Exclusive Awards (2006)". IMDB. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "Blue Harvest (Family Guy)". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  25. ^ "Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards (2021)". IMDB. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
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