The 20 Greatest Drama Television Writers
by the_lunatic9 | created - 26 Nov 2013 | updated - 26 Nov 2013 | PublicA list of the best drama television writers of the past twenty years.
1. Alan Ball
Producer | American Beauty
Alan Ball is an American writer, director, and producer who is known for writing the acclaimed film American Beauty and creating the HBO series True Blood starring Anna Paquin. He also wrote the films Towelhead and Uncle Frank. He also created Here and Now, Six Feet Under, and Banshee. He won ...
Creator, producer and head writer for Six Feet Under and developer of True Blood
2. Vince Gilligan
Producer | The X Files
George Vincent Gilligan Jr. (born February 10, 1967) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is known for his television work, specifically as creator, head writer, executive producer, and director of Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. He was a writer and producer for The ...
Creator, producer and head writer for Breaking Bad
3. Aaron Sorkin
Writer | The West Wing
Aaron Sorkin grew up in Scarsdale, a suburb of New York City where he was very involved in his high school drama and theater club. After graduating from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, Sorkin intended to pursue a career in acting. It took him only a short time to ...
Creator, producer and head writer for The West Wing and The Newsroom
4. Lawrence Kaplow
Producer | House M.D.
Lawrence Kaplow is known for House M.D. (2004), BrainDead (2016) and K-Ville (2007).
Producer and major writer for House MD
5. Kurt Sutter
Producer | Sons of Anarchy
Raised in the shadow of Rahway prison, Sutter spent most of his New Jersey childhood indoors, away from people, three feet from a TV screen. That's where he learned the essentials of storytelling and the comic significance of anvils.
After graduating from Rutgers University with a BA in Film, Kurt ...
Creator, producer and head writer for Sons of Anarchy
6. Matthew Weiner
Producer | Mad Men
Matthew Weiner was born on June 29, 1965 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Mad Men (2007), The Sopranos (1999) and The Romanoffs (2018). He has been married to Linda Brettler since January 1991. They have four children.
Creator, producer and head writer for Mad Men and major writer for The Sopranos
7. David E. Kelley
Writer | The Practice
David Kelley might be described as living the American Dream, 1990s' style: write a screenplay, move to Hollywood, make millions and marry a movie star. A former Boston lawyer, in the last decade, he switched careers to become a successful television producer whose shows are recognized for their ...
Creator, producer and head writer for Boston Legal, Boston Public, The Practice and Alley McBeal
8. Graham Yost
Producer | Justified
Graham Yost was born on September 5, 1959 in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. He is a producer and writer, known for Justified (2010), From the Earth to the Moon (1998) and Speed (1994).
Developer, producer and head writer for Justified
9. Bruno Heller
Writer | Rome
Bruno Heller was born in 1960 in London, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Rome (2005), The Mentalist (2008) and Gotham (2014).
Creator, producer and head writer for Rome and The Mentalist
10. Terence Winter
Producer | The Sopranos
Terence Winter was born on October 2, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Sopranos (1999), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Boardwalk Empire (2010). He is married to Rachel Winter. They have two children.
Creator, producer and head writer for Boardwalk Empire and major writer for The Sopranos
11. Jason Katims
Producer | Friday Night Lights
Jason Katims is known for Friday Night Lights (2006), Away (2020) and As We See It (2022).
Developer, producer and head writer for Parenthood and major writer for Friday Night Lights
12. Sera Gamble
Producer | You
Sera Gamble is known for You (2018), Supernatural (2005) and The Magicians (2015). She has been married to Eric Weiss since September 2019.
Major writer and producer of Supernatural
13. Edward Kitsis
Producer | Lost
Edward Kitsis was born on February 4, 1971 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Lost (2004), Once Upon a Time (2011) and Tron: Legacy (2010).
Creator, producer and head writer for Once Upon a Time and major writer for Lost
14. Adam Horowitz
Producer | Lost
Adam Horowitz spent three years working as a vendor at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY selling ice cream, hot dogs, soda, and beer. During his time with the team, they went 212-273 and never finished higher than fifth place in the American League's Eastern Division. Since he left the team, the ...
Creator, producer and head writer for Once Upon a Time and major writer for Lost
15. Hart Hanson
Producer | Traders
Hart Hanson is creator and show-runner of the Fox television series Bones and The Finder. Prior to creating Bones and The Finder, Hart was Executive Producer of the Emmy nominated CBS tv series Judging Amy followed by Joan of Arcadia which won the HUMANITAS, Peoples's Choice Award, and the AFI ...
Creator, producer and head writer for Bones and The Finder
16. John Wells
Producer | The Company Men
John Wells is one of the most prolific writers, directors and producers for television, film and the stage. Over the past two decades, Wells has been a creative force behind some of primetime's biggest hit series, including ER, The West Wing, Third Watch and China Beach. He is currently Executive ...
Developer, producer and head writer for Shameless and major writer for The West Wing and ER.
17. David Milch
Writer | Hill Street Blues
David Milch was born on March 23, 1945 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Hill Street Blues (1981), NYPD Blue (1993) and Brooklyn South (1997). He has been married to Rita Stern since 1982. They have three children.
Creator, producer and head writer for Deadwood and co-creator for NYPD Blue
18. Tony Gayton
Writer | Faster
Tony Gayton was born in 1959. He is known for Faster (2010), The Salton Sea (2002) and Murder by Numbers (2002).
Co-creator, producer and head writer for Hell on Wheels
19. Henry Bromell
Producer | Homeland
Henry Bromell was born on September 19, 1947 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Homeland (2011), I'll Fly Away (1991) and Homicide: Life on the Street (1993). He was married to Caroline Thompson, Sarah and Trish Soodik. He died on March 18, 2013 in Santa Monica, ...
Head writer and co-producer of Homeland, Northern Exposure and Carnivale
20. Wendy West
Producer | Dexter
Wendy West is known for Dexter (2006), FBI: Most Wanted (2020) and The Beast (2009).
Major writer and producer of Dexter
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