Chris Thompson (TV producer)
Encyclopedia
Chris Thompson is an American
television writer, producer
and director
. Since 1977, he has written and produced for the television series Laverne & Shirley
and The Larry Sanders Show
. He has also created, written and produced Bosom Buddies
, The Naked Truth
, Action
, Ladies Man and the Disney Channel
original series, Shake It Up!
, as well as writing the feature films Jumpin' Jack Flash
and Back to the Beach
.
performance at the Off The Wall theater in Los Angeles
. Thompson thought this was his big acting break, but it was really the start of his prolific writing and producing career (the producer offered him an apprentice writing position on the series Sirota's Court). Soon after, he was introduced to producer Garry Marshall
and worked as a writer on Blansky's Beauties
starring Nancy Walker
and Scott Baio
, followed by Laverne and Shirley, where he worked as a writer, and later as an executive producer, for seven years. Thompson went on to create the buddy comedy Bosom Buddies
for Paramount Studios. His other writing and producing credits include The Naked Truth
, Action
, Ladies Man, The Larry Sanders Show
, House Rules, Hard Knocks and over 30 pilots for various networks and studios. His feature film writing credits include Jumpin' Jack Flash
, and Back to the Beach
. In 2010, Thompson created and executive produced the Disney Channel
dance-driven sitcom Shake It Up!
. He left the series after the first season leaving Rob Lotterstein
as showrunner.
and raised in Los Angeles
. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Curran, his dog, Roscoe and his cat, Ichi.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television writer, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
. Since 1977, he has written and produced for the television series Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
and The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
. He has also created, written and produced Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies is an American sitcom starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari created by Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Chris Thompson. It ran from 1980 to 1982 on ABC and in reruns in the summer of 1984 on NBC....
, The Naked Truth
The Naked Truth (TV series)
The Naked Truth is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 1996, and on NBC from 1996 to 1998. The series stars Téa Leoni and co-starred Holland Taylor...
, Action
Action (TV series)
Action is a comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season. The series was critically praised for its irreverent, and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes...
, Ladies Man and the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
original series, Shake It Up!
Shake It Up (TV series)
Shake It Up is an American television sitcom airing on Disney Channel in the United States. The series premiered on November 7, 2010. Created by Chris Thompson and starring Bella Thorne and Zendaya, the show follows the adventures of Cece Jones and Rocky Blue as they star as background dancers on...
, as well as writing the feature films Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash (film)
Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
and Back to the Beach
Back to the Beach
Back to the Beach is a 1987 comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903...
.
Career
Thompson began his career at the age of 23, when he was approached by a producer who was impressed by his improvImprovisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
performance at the Off The Wall theater in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Thompson thought this was his big acting break, but it was really the start of his prolific writing and producing career (the producer offered him an apprentice writing position on the series Sirota's Court). Soon after, he was introduced to producer Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
and worked as a writer on Blansky's Beauties
Blansky's Beauties
Blansky's Beauties is an American sitcom which aired on the ABC network in 1977. The main character of the series was introduced in an episode of Happy Days.-Synopsis:...
starring Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker was an American actress and comedienne of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director...
and Scott Baio
Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge....
, followed by Laverne and Shirley, where he worked as a writer, and later as an executive producer, for seven years. Thompson went on to create the buddy comedy Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies
Bosom Buddies is an American sitcom starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari created by Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Chris Thompson. It ran from 1980 to 1982 on ABC and in reruns in the summer of 1984 on NBC....
for Paramount Studios. His other writing and producing credits include The Naked Truth
The Naked Truth (TV series)
The Naked Truth is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 1996, and on NBC from 1996 to 1998. The series stars Téa Leoni and co-starred Holland Taylor...
, Action
Action (TV series)
Action is a comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season. The series was critically praised for its irreverent, and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes...
, Ladies Man, The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
, House Rules, Hard Knocks and over 30 pilots for various networks and studios. His feature film writing credits include Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash (film)
Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
, and Back to the Beach
Back to the Beach
Back to the Beach is a 1987 comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903...
. In 2010, Thompson created and executive produced the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
dance-driven sitcom Shake It Up!
Shake It Up (TV series)
Shake It Up is an American television sitcom airing on Disney Channel in the United States. The series premiered on November 7, 2010. Created by Chris Thompson and starring Bella Thorne and Zendaya, the show follows the adventures of Cece Jones and Rocky Blue as they star as background dancers on...
. He left the series after the first season leaving Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein is an American television writer, producer and creator. He has produced and written for numerous television sitcoms including Boy Meets World, Suddenly Susan, Ellen, and Will & Grace, as well as serving as creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed FOX sitcom The War...
as showrunner.
Personal life
Thompson was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and raised in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Curran, his dog, Roscoe and his cat, Ichi.
Filmography
- Sirota's Court (1976–1977) (TV)
- Blansky's BeautiesBlansky's BeautiesBlansky's Beauties is an American sitcom which aired on the ABC network in 1977. The main character of the series was introduced in an episode of Happy Days.-Synopsis:...
(1977) (TV) - Laverne & ShirleyLaverne & ShirleyLaverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
(1977–1979) (TV) - Bosom BuddiesBosom BuddiesBosom Buddies is an American sitcom starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari created by Robert L. Boyett, Thomas L. Miller and Chris Thompson. It ran from 1980 to 1982 on ABC and in reruns in the summer of 1984 on NBC....
(1980–1982) (TV) - The President of Love (1984) (TV)
- Slickers (1985) (TV)
- Jumpin' Jack FlashJumpin' Jack Flash (film)Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, John Wood, Annie Potts, and Jonathan Pryce...
(with Charles ShyerCharles ShyerCharles Richard Shyer is an American film director, writer and producer. Shyer's films are predominantly comedies, often with a romantic-comedy overtone...
, Nancy MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
and David FranzoniDavid FranzoniDavid Harold Franzoni is an American screenwriter. His best known screenplays include King Arthur, Gladiator, Amistad, and Jumpin' Jack Flash....
) (1986) - Hard KnocksHard Knocks (TV series)Hard Knocks is a reality sports documentary television series produced by NFL Films and HBO. The series follows a select National Football League team through its training camp and provides an in-depth perspective of the team's preparation for the upcoming season. The series is described as one of...
(1987) (TV) - Back to the BeachBack to the BeachBack to the Beach is a 1987 comedy film starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, directed by Lyndall Hobbs. The original music score is composed by Steve Dorff. The film generated a total domestic gross of $13,110,903...
(with Peter Krikes and Steve Meerson) (1987) - Lola (1990) (TV)
- Big Deals (1991) (TV)
- The Larry Sanders ShowThe Larry Sanders ShowThe Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
(1992–1993) (TV) - Dave's WorldDave's WorldDave's World is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1993 to 1997. The series was based on the writing of Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry.-Plot:...
(1994) (TV) - The Naked TruthThe Naked Truth-Literature:* The Naked Truth , a fictional memoir by Leslie Nielsen* The Naked Truth , a commentary on film ratings-Film:* The Naked Truth , a 1914 silent Italian film* The Naked Truth...
(1995-1997) (TV) - House RulesHouse rulesHouse rules are rules applying only in a certain location or organization. Bars and pubs in which games take place frequently have house rules posted...
(1998) (TV) - ActionAction (TV series)Action is a comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season. The series was critically praised for its irreverent, and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes...
(1999) (TV) - Ladies Man (1999) (TV)
- Trash (2003) (TV)
- Shake It UpShake It Up (TV series)Shake It Up is an American television sitcom airing on Disney Channel in the United States. The series premiered on November 7, 2010. Created by Chris Thompson and starring Bella Thorne and Zendaya, the show follows the adventures of Cece Jones and Rocky Blue as they star as background dancers on...
(2010–2011) (TV)