Diane English
Diane English | |
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Buffalo State College | |
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Diane English (born May 18, 1948) is an American screenwriter, producer and director.[1] She is best known for creating the television show Murphy Brown which won multiple awards, including 18 Primetime Emmy Awards from 62 nominations.[2][3][4][5] She also wrote and directed the 2008 feature film The Women. She has won numerous awards, including 3 Emmy Awards, and received numerous nominations.[6][7][8]
Early life
English was born in
Career
English began her career at WNET, the PBS affiliate in New York City, working first as a story editor for The Theatre in America series, and then as associate director of TV Lab. From 1977 to 1980, she wrote a monthly column on television for Vogue magazine.
In 1980, she co-wrote PBS'
In 1985, English created
In 1988, she created the CBS television series
English responded with a statement that read: "If the vice president thinks it's disgraceful for an unmarried woman to bear children (out of wedlock), and if he believes that a woman cannot adequately raise a child without a father, then he'd better make sure abortion remains safe and legal." In 2002, Candice Bergen, the actress who played Brown, said "I never have really said much about the whole episode, which was endless, but his speech was a perfectly intelligent speech about fathers not being dispensable and nobody agreed with that more than I did." This controversy along with the shifting times of that decade touched off a debate over the meaning of "family values" of Americans during that election year in which Bill Clinton and Al Gore ran against George H. W. Bush and Dan Quayle.[citation needed]
During the success of Murphy Brown, her company, with Joel Shukovsky, Shukovsky English Entertainment, had set up a deal with CBS for a non-exclusive deal, giving them exclusive syndicated rights to future Shukovsky/English series, in 1991.[15]
English also created the comedy series Love & War (1992–1995), starring Susan Dey and Jay Thomas - Annie Potts replaced Dey after the first season. Other series she co-created and/or executive produced include Double Rush (1995), Ink (1996), and The Louie Show, starring Louie Anderson (1996), and Living in Captivity (1998). Unfortunately, none of the series were picked up for more than a single season with The Louie Show lasting six episodes. As for Ink, she took over the role from Jeffrey Lane, who initially came up with the concept of the series.[16]
In 2008, English wrote, produced and directed The Women, her feature film debut. The comedy, a remake of the 1939 George Cukor film of the same name, stars Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, and Jada Pinkett Smith. It was released to mostly negative reviews but its box office tripled its budget when worldwide markets were factored in.[17] That same year English and the ensemble cast of which honors women in communications and media.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | The Lathe of Heaven | Writer | Television Movie |
1984 | Her Life as a Man | Writer | Television Movie |
1984 | Call to Glory | Writer | Episode: "The Move" |
1985–1986 | Foley Square | Writer, Producer | Creator/Producer (14 episodes) Writer (6 episodes) – "Make My Day" (1985) – "Court-ship" (1986) – "The Longest Weekend" (1986) – "Nobody's Perfect" (1986) – "Kid Stuff" (1986) – "24 Hours" (1986) |
1986 | Classified Love | Writer | Television Movie |
1987–1988 | My Sister Sam | Writer, Producer | Executive Producer (7 episodes) Writer (6 episodes) – "Jingle Bell Rock Bottom" (1986) – "Exposed" (1987) – "Goodbye, Steve" (1987) – "And They Said It Would Never Last" (1987) – "Ol' Green Eyes Is Back" (1988) – "It's My Party and I'll Kill If I Want To" (1988) |
1988–1998 2018 |
Murphy Brown | Writer, Producer | Creator (249 episodes) Executive Producer (24 episodes) Writer (21 episodes) – "Respect" (1988) – "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" (1988) – "Murphy's Pony" (1988) – "Set Me Free" (1988) – "Mama Said" (1989) – "The Summer of '77" (1989) – "The Brothers Silverberg" (1989) – "Brown Like Me: Part 1" (1989) – "Brown Like Me: Part 2" (1989) – "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" (1990) – "Goin' to the Chapel: Part 1" (1990) – "Goin' to the Chapel: Part 2" (1990) – "The 390th Broadcast" (1990) – "Bob & Murphy & Ted & Avery" (1990) – "On Another Plane: Part 1" (1990) – "On Another Plane: Part 2" (1990) – "Full Circle" (1991) – "Birth 101" (1992) – "Never Can Say Goodbye: Part 1" (1998) – "Never Can Say Goodbye: Part 2" (1998) – "I (Don't) Heart Huckabee" (2018) |
1992–1995 | Love & War | Writer, Producer | Creator (67 episodes) Executive Producer (25 episodes) Writer (8 episodes) – "Love Is Hell" (1992) – "Step Two" (1992) – "For John" (1992) – "Friends and Relations" (1993) – "Just in Time" (1993) – "You Make Me Feel So Young" (1994) – "The Morning After the Night Before" (1994) – "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and a Cat" (1995) |
1995 | Double Rush | Writer, Producer | Creator/Producer (13 episodes) Episode: "The Episode Formerly Known as Prince" |
1996–1997 | Ink | Writer, Producer | Creator/Executive Producer (22 episodes) Episode: " Above the Fold "
|
1998 | Living in Captivity | Producer | Executive Producer (8 episodes) |
2008 | The Women | Writer, Producer, Director | Adapted from the play/remake of the film Screenplay [22] |
TBR | Timbuktu | Writer, Director | Screenplay |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Writers Guild of America
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Paddy Chayefsky Award | Won | [7] | |
2008 | Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards | Crystal Award | Won | [6] | |
1997 | Banff Television Festival | Award of Excellence | Won | ||
1999 | Writers Guild of America
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Episodic Comedy | Murphy Brown | Nominated | |
1993 | Episodic Comedy (shared with Korby Siamis) | Won | [23][24] | ||
1992 | Primetime Emmy Awards
|
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (shared with Korby Siamis) | Nominated | [10] | |
Outstanding Comedy Series (for producing) | Won | [10] | |||
1991 | Writers Guild of America
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Episodic Comedy | Won | [25] | |
Primetime Emmy Awards
|
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [10] | ||
Outstanding Comedy Series (for producing) | Nominated | [10] | |||
1990 | Writers Guild of America
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Episodic Comedy | Nominated | ||
Primetime Emmy Awards
|
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [12] | ||
Outstanding Comedy Series (for producing) | Won | [11] | |||
1989 | Primetime Emmy Awards
|
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Won | [10] | |
Outstanding Comedy Series (for producing) | Nominated | [10] | |||
1981 | Hugo Awards | Best Dramatic Presentation | The Lathe of Heaven | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Diane English". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ "Murphy Brown Is the Feminist Hero We Needed in 1988 — And in 2018". Time. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ "Like Your TV With Strong Female Characters? Thank Murphy Brown". Time. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b "Murphy Brown". Television Academy. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b Trisha Tucker; Tucker, Trisha; Press, The Associated (2008-06-17). "Diane English, 'The Women' receive the WIF Crystal Award for excellence in film". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b Block, Alex Ben (2011-01-20). "'Murphy Brown's' Diane English Honored With WGA West's Paddy Chayefsky Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ "Diane English to receive Writers Guild Paddy Chayefsky award for television writing". Los Angeles Times. 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ "Diane English Biography (1948-)". Film Reference. 1992-11-23. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Nominations Search | Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b "Nominations Search | Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ a b "Nominations Search | Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ Andrea Heiman (1992-02-29). "The Demand Is Weak for Strong Women on Screen : Movies: A Writers Guild panel says that 'Murphy Brown'-types are the minority and film executives still shun believable women's roles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ "Dan Quayle vs. Murphy Brown". Time. June 1, 1992. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ "Shukovsky, English near CBS deal" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1991-08-12. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ^ "English takes over 'Ink'" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1996-09-02. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
- ^ Michael Fleming (2007-09-19). "Femmes front 'Women' - Entertainment News, Film News, Media". Variety. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ^ "Leading ladies set for Crystal+Lucy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ Rosenberg, Howard (1992-09-21). "TV REVIEWS : 'Love & War' Should Hold Its Own". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1993-02-12). "'Seinfeld' Gets 3 WGA Nominations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ Fox, David J. (1993-03-23). "'The Player' and 'Crying Game' Top WGA Picks : Awards: Writers Guild trophies often indicate who'll win Oscars. Some think 'The Crying Game' could make a stronger showing than expected". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ Fox, David J. (1991-03-21). "Writers Guild Award Goes to 'Dances With Wolves'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-03-30.