TV and Internet

TV

I've written a lot of television. Not bragging or anything, just a statement of fact: when you tote it all up, including the collaborations and the storyediting and the developments that never went anywhere and suchlike, I've written a lot of television. Mostly animation, but some live-action as well. At its worst it's one of those pull-your-own-head-off, grab-a-rifle-and-climb-a-tower sort of nightmares that are infinitely nested like Chinese puzzle boxes -- you keep praying it's over but it never is ... at its best it's a joy and an artistic fulfillment as good as anything else I've done.

For better or worse, it's what I've done with my professional life, and, all things considered, I have to say it still beats working for a living. After all, the whole purpose of writing is to communicate -- and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that, if you're in your twenties or thirties and grew up watching Saturday morning and afternoon TV, I've had more to do with raising you than your parents did.

Kinda scary, huh?

(NOTE: Writing for TV is an intensely collaborative medium, at all stages. Some of the scripts mentioned below were written with various writing partners. It would be far too tedious to list each individual collaboration or project, but I would like to acknowledge the writers I've worked with over the years:

Harve Bennett, Chris Black, Doug Booth, Laren Bright, Alan Burnett, Brynne Chandler [aka Brynne Chandler Reaves, aka Brynne Stephens, aka J. Brynne Stephens], Gerry Conway, Sean Derek, Paul Dini, Joseph Di Stefano, Larry Ditillio, Buzz Dixon, Diane Duane and Peter Morwood, Scott Edelman, Ruel Fischmann, Melody Fox, Steve Gerber, David Gerrold, Karl Geurs, Donald F. Glut, Shari Goodhartz, Marty Isenberg, Len Jansen, Richard Kadrey, Gordon Kent, Christopher Kimble, Joe R. Lansdale, Stan Lee, Wayne Lemon, Lydia C. Marano, Dennis Marks, Christy Marx, Avi Melman, Chuck Menville, Will Meugniot, Rockne S. O'Bannon, Martin Pasko, Ted Pedersen, Steve Perry, Duane Poole, Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens, Randy Rogel, Ralph Sanchez, Robert N. Skir, Roger Slifer, Steven Speilberg, Dean Steffens, J. Michael Straczynski, Tom Swayle, David Villaire, Len Wein, Greg Weisman, Cherie Wilkerson, David Wise, Marv Wolfman, Marc Scott Zicree and Elaine Zicree. Here's to them, and any others I may have left out.)

Live-Action

• One episode of Sliders, produced by St. Clare Entertainment and Universal Television for The Sci-Fi Channel, 1999.
• One episode of Young Hercules, produced by Renaissance Films and Saban Entertainment for Fox Kids' Network, 1999.
• Three episodes of Father Dowling Mysteries, produced by Viacom for ABC, 1990-1991.
• One episode of The Flash, produced by Warner Bros. for CBS, 1990.
• One episode of Swamp Thing, produced by Villa Di Stefano Productions for USA Channel, 1990.
• Four episodes of Monsters, produced by Laurel EFX for syndication, 1988-1990.
• Pilot script for Star Runners, sold to Fallen Artists Productions, 1988.
• Two episodes produced by, and three episodes and one story sold to Landmark Productions for Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, for syndication, 1987-1988.
• Pilot script for Pandora sold to Laurel Productions, Inc., 1987.
• One episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation produced by Paramount Productions for syndication, 1987.
• Two episodes produced by and two stories sold to CBS for The Twilight Zone (network and syndication), 1986-89.
• Story sold to Universal Studios for Buck Rogers, 1977.
• One episode of Shazam!, produced by Filmation Associates for CBS, 1976.
• One episode of The Secrets Of Isis, produced by Filmation Associates for CBS, 1975.

[Back to Top]

Animated

• Pilot script for Guardians Of Luna, for Cybergraphix Studios, 2004.
• Pilot script for Myth House, for Cybergraphix Studios, 2004.
• Three scripts for He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, produced by Cartoon Network, 2002.
• Development, bible, pilot script and multiple episodes as writer/producer for The Lost Continent for BKN Studios, 2000-2001.
• Development, bible and pilot script for Red Vengeance, for the Fox Kids' Network, 1999-2000.
• One episode of MX1: Max Steel, produced by Columbia/TriStar and Hasbro, Inc. for syndication, 1999.
• Two episodes of Transformers: Beast Machines, produced by Mainframe and Mattel, Inc. for the Fox Kids' Network, 1999.
• One episode of Batman Beyond, sold to Warner Bros. TV Animation for the Kids' WB! Network, 1999.
• Storyediting, development, bible, pilot and multiple episodes of Spider-Man Unlimited, produced by Saban Entertainment for the Fox Kids' Network, 1999.
• Two episodes of Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, produced by Columbia/Tristar and Bohbot Entertainment for syndication, 1998-1999.
• Two episodes of Godzilla: The Series, produced by Columbia/Tristar and Centropolis for the Fox Kids' Network, 1998.
• One episode of Captain America, developed by Saban Entertainment for the Fox Kids' Network, 1998.
• Development and multiple episodes as writer-producer for Invasion America, produced by DreamWorks SKG TV Animation for the WB Network, 1995-1997.
• Storyediting, development, pilot and multiple episodes of Gargoyles, produced by Walt Disney TV Animation for syndication. 1993-1995.
• Three episodes of Phantom 2040, produced by Hearst Entertainment for syndication, 1993-1994.
• One episode of Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, produced by Nelvana for CBS, 1993.
• Storyediting, development, pilot and multiple episodes of Conan And The Young Warriors, produced by Sunbow Productions for CBS, 1993.
• Storyediting and multiple episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, produced by Warner Bros. TV Animation for the Fox Childrens' Network, 1991-1993.
• One episode of Young Robin Hood, produced by Hanna-Barbera and Crayon Animation for syndication, 1991.
• One episode of Bobby's World, produced by Film Roman for the Fox Childrens' Network, 1990.
• One episode produced and one episode sold to Tiny Toons Adventures, produced by Warner Bros. TV Animation and Amblin for syndication, 1990.
• Storyediting and multiple episodes of Peter Pan And The Pirates, produced by Southern Star and TMS for the Fox Childrens' Network, 1989-1990.
• Two episodes of The New Adventures of He-Man, produced by Jetlag for syndication, 1989.
• Three episodes of Dink, The Little Dinosaur, produced by Ruby-Spears for CBS, 1989-1990.
• Development, bible and pilot script for The Ugly Dinosaur, developed by Southern Star for ABC, 1989.
• Nineteen episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson for syndication and for CBS, 1988-1990.
• One episode of The Bionic Six, produced by TMS for Universal, 1987.
• Eight episodes of Spiral Zone, produced by Kushner-Locke for syndication, 1987.
• One episode of Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos, developed by Ruby-Spears for syndication, 1987.
• Two episodes of Starcom, the U.S. Space Force, produced by DiC for syndication, 1987.
• Sixteen episodes of The Real Ghostbusters, produced by DiC for ABC and for syndication, 1986-1987.
• Two episodes of Ewoks, produced by Lucasfilm Limited, for ABC, 1986.
• Development work on Captain Eo for Walt Disney Productions, 1986.
• Storyediting and multiple episodes of My Little Pony, produced by Sunbow Productions for syndication, 1986.
• One episode and two outlines for The Young Astronauts, developed by Marvel Productions for CBS, 1986.
• One episode of JEM and the Holograms, produced by Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions, Inc., for syndication, 1986.
• Nine episodes of Centurions, produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises for syndication, 1986.
• One episode of Droids, produced by Lucasfilm Limited, for ABC, 1985.
• Development work on Spinetinglers! for Southern Star Productions, 1985.
• One episode of Challenge of the Go-Bots, produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication, 1985.
• Two episodes of The Littles, produced by DiC Enterprises for ABC, 1984-1985.
• Five episodes of CBS Storybreak, produced by and for CBS, 1984-1985.
• Eight episodes of Dungeons & Dragons, produced by Marvel Productions for CBS, 1984-1985. (Read more about Requiem, the unproduced series finale, and download the script.)
• One episode of Transformers, produced by Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions, Inc., for syndication, 1984.
• Storyediting, development, bible and multiple episodes of Mighty Orbots for TMS Entertainment and Intermedia Entertainment, produced for ABC, 1984.
• Development, bible, pilot and multiple episodes of Pole Position, produced by DiC Enterprises for CBS, 1984.
• Development work on Go-Bots, produced by Hanna-Barbera, Inc., for syndication, 1984.
• Treatment for Transformers mini-series sold to Sunbow Productions, Inc., for syndication, 1984.
• Two episodes of He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, produced by Filmation Associates and Mattel, Inc., for syndication, 1983.
• Three episodes and one story for Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends, produced by Marvel Productions for NBC, 1983.
• Sixteen episodes of Biskitts, produced by Hanna-Barbera for CBS, 1983.
• One episode of The Puppy's New Adventures, produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises for ABC, 1983.
• Seven episodes of Smurfs and Johan and Peewee, produced by Hanna-Barbera for NBC, 1981-83.
• Two episodes of Flash Gordon, produced by Filmation Associates for NBC, 1982.
• Promotional script for U.S. 1, produced by Marvel Productions, 1982.
• Treatment sold to General Mills, Inc. for Fast III's, 1982.
• Five episodes of The Incredible Hulk, produced by Marvel for NBC, 1982.
• Five episodes of Blackstar, produced by Filmation Associates for CBS, 1981.
• Three episodes of Superfriends, produced by Hanna-Barbera for ABC, 1981.
• Sixteen episodes of Space Stars, produced by Hanna-Barbera for NBC, 1981.
• One episode of Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, produced by Filmation Associates for CBS, 1980.
• Three episodes of The Shmoo, produced by Hanna-Barbera for NBC, 1979.
• Five episodes of Tarzan and the Super Seven, produced by Filmation Associates for NBC, 1977-78.
• Three episodes of Space Sentinels, (aka The Young Sentinels), produced by Filmation Associates for NBC, 1976.

[Back to Top]

Internet

And then there are the "webisodes" (one of the most ungainly portmanteau in recent memory, without a doubt). The Batman ones were similar to writing for animation, except there was a lot more reuse of data; what would be called, way back when, "stock footage". Not much else to say, really, about them; they were basically just Onstar advertising spots featuring Batman.

The only really amazing thing about the work for Stan Lee Media was that I got paid - just before the company went belly-up. Still, it's always interesting working with Stan the Man. I've done it three times, now, and each time has been like the first time. Seriously - he didn't remember the previous times.

One of the reasons I'm both proud of and excited by the Star Trek assignment (written with Marc Scott Zicree) is because I believe that Internet episodic series are the way of the future. I'm also very pleased at being able to write this particular story, which I first pitched to Star Trek: Phase II, the series that was dropped in favor of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, back in the late Seventies. It's probably fair to say that I hold the world's record for longest time between a pitch and a green light on the same series. Thirty years is a long time to be in turnaround, even for Hollywood.

Webisodes

• One script for Star Trek: New Voyages (startreknewvoyages.com), 2006. New Voyages produced by Cawley Entertainment and the Magic Time Company.
• Two scripts for The Batman Challenge By OnStar produced by DC Comics, 2000.
• Treatment for Knightwulf for Stan Lee Media, 1999.