John Wells (TV producer)
Encyclopedia
John Marcum Wells is an American theater and television producer, writer and director. He is best known for his role as executive producer and show runner of the television series ER
, Third Watch
, and The West Wing. His company, John Wells Productions, is currently based at Warner Bros.
studios in Burbank
, California. Wells is also a labor
leader, and was elected president of the Writers Guild of America, West
in 2009, after serving a prior term in that office from 1999–2001.
, Virginia, the son of Marjorie Elizabeth (née Risberg) and Llewellyn Wallace Wells, Jr., an Episcopalian minister. He graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama
in 1979. A studio theatre at Carnegie Mellon University
bears his name. While at CMU, he was one of the earliest actors to work at City Theatre
, a prominent fixture of Pittsburgh theatre
.
. He began writing for television with an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse
entitled "Roughhouse" in 1988.
in 1988. The show was created by John Sacret Young
and William Broyles, Jr. and focused on combat medics in the Vietnam war. Wells wrote five episodes for the first season – "X-Mas Chn. Bch. VN, '67", "Tet '68", "Vets" and both parts of the two part season finale "The World".
He was promoted to supervising producer for the third season of China Beach in 1989. He wrote three further episodes for the third season – "Dear China Beach", "Magic", and "The Thanks of a Grateful Nation". He returned as a co-executive producer for the fourth and final season in 1990. He was involved in writing ten further episodes. He co-wrote the story for the season premiere with Sacret Young, Carol Flint
and Lydia Woodward
and wrote the teleplay himself. He worked with the same team to develop the story for the second episode "She Sells More Than Sea Shells", the third episode "You, Babe", the fourth episode "Escape", the fifth episode "Fever", the sixth episode "Juice", the seventh episode "One Giant Leap" and the eighth episode "One Small Step". He co-wrote the fourteenth episode "Rewind" with Flint. He co-wrote the teleplay and co-wrote the story for the series finale "Hello Goodbye" along with Sacret Young.
Wells wrote sixteen episodes of the series in total. He frequently worked with producer/director Mimi Leder
on China Beach and she helmed six of the episodes he wrote. China Beach also marked the start of Wells working relationship with casting director John Frank Levey, editors Randy Jon Morgan and Jacque Toberen and directors Rod Holcomb
and Fred Gerber
.
and is about a young man moving into a hotel run by a mother and daughter. Wells helped to adapt the teleplay from the radio drama by Lucille Fletcher
.
Angel Street was written and executive produced by Wells. It reunited him with several China Beach crew members including director Rod Holcomb
, editor Jacque Toberen, and casting director John Frank Levey. The telefilm was followed by a series on which Wells again worked as an executive producer. Wells also wrote the screenplay for Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
, the project was produced in 1996 and starred Martin Sheen
and Moira Kelly
.
. The show was created by novelist Michael Crichton
. The pilot episode was directed by frequent Wells collaborator Rod Holcomb
and John Frank Levey was involved as a casting director. The pilot was edited by frequent China Beach editor Randy Jon Morgan.
Wells became the show runner and head writer for the ongoing series that followed the pilot. He was credited as an executive producer for all fifteen seasons of the series and served as the show runner for the first six seasons. He hired China Beach writer Lydia Woodward
as a supervising producer and writer. China Beach director Mimi Leder
also became a supervising producer and regular director. ER marked the start of Wells longstanding collaboration with producer/director Christopher Chulack
and music composer Martin Davich.
Wells wrote five episodes of the first season including the second episode "Day One", "Chicago Heat", "Feb 5 1995", "The Birthday Party", and the season finale "Everything Old Is New Again".
Wells and the producers were nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Drama Series
at the 1995 ceremony
for their work on the first season. The season was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards and won 8 in total. Wells and Michael Crichton won a Producers Guild of America Award at the 1994 ceremony
. Wells and Crichton also received an honorable mention at the Wise Owl Awards in the Television and Theatrical Film Fiction category.
Wells remained show runner for the second season in 1995. He hired his China Beach colleague Carol Flint
as a co-executive producer for the second season. Wells wrote four more episodes for the second season – the season premiere "Welcome Back, Carter!", "Dead of Winter", "The Healers", and the season finale "John Carter MD". Wells and the producers won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1996 ceremony
for their work on the second season. Wells was also nominated for a Humanitas Prize (in the 60 minute category) and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "The Healers".
Wells remained the head writer for the third season in 1996 and wrote the season premiere "Doctor Carter, I Presume", "Faith", and the season finale "One More For The Road". Wells and the producers were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1997 ceremony
for their work on the third season. Wells was again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Faith".
He continued in the same capacity for the fourth season in 1997 and wrote two further episodes "Fathers and Sons", and "Carter's Choice". Wells also made his television directing debut with his screenplay "Carter's Choice". Wells and the producers were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1998 ceremony
for their work on the fourth season.
Wells returned as head writer for the fifth season in 1998. He wrote both parts of the two part episode "The Storm" and also directed the first part. Wells and the producers were once again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1999 ceremony
for their work on the fifth season. Wells stood down as show runner after the fifth season but remained an executive producer and major creative force behind the series. In the 1999–2000 TV season his company Wells productions launched two new series The West Wing
and Third Watch
.
Woodward took over as show runner for the sixth season but Wells wrote "The Peace of Wild Things" and wrote and directed "Such Sweet Sorrow". Wells and the producers were once again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2000 ceremony
for their work on the sixth season but lost out to Wells' other show The West Wing. Wells was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
for his work on "Such Sweet Sorrow". He was also nominated for the 2000 PGA Vision Award
for his work on ER, Third Watch and The West Wing.
Wells continued to write for the seventh season and contributed two episodes "The Visit", and "A Walk in the Woods". Wells was nominated for a Humanitas Prize
for his work on "A Walk in the Woods". Wells and the producers were once again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2001 ceremony
for their work on the seventh season and were again beaten by Wells' other series The West Wing.
For the eighth season Wells wrote the episode "Secrets and Lies" and wrote the penultimate episode "On the Beach" which featured the departure of longterm cast member Anthony Edwards
. Wells was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for his work on "On the Beach" at the 2002 ceremony
. He was also nominated for a further Humanitas Prize and a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award
at the 2003 ceremony
for the episode.
For the ninth season Wells wrote the final episode "Kisangani". The episode was set in Africa and followed the characters of John Carter
and Luka Kovač
. He returned in fall 2003 to write the tenth season premiere "Now What?" and second episode "The Lost". The episodes continued to deal with Carter and Kovac's travels in Africa, particularly "The Lost" which featured Carter searching for a missing Kovac in the Congo. Wells also wrote mid-season episode "Makemba" which dealt with Carter beginning a relationship with the titular character, an AIDS worker. He wrote the penultimate episode "Midnight" which featured Carter's return to Chicago with a pregnant Makemba. Wells was again nominated for a Humanitas Prize, this time for his work on "Makemba".
He continued to handle Carter's storylines for the eleventh season and wrote the penultimate episode "Carter est Amoureux" and directed the finale "The Show Must Go On" which marked the departure of Noah Wyle
(who played Carter) from the starring cast. For the twelfth season Wells co-wrote the premiere episode "Canon City" with Lisa Zwerling
and Joe Sachs
.
Wells served solely as an executive producer and director on the thirteenth and fourteenth seasons. He directed the thirteenth season episode "Jigsaw", and the fourteenth episode "300 Patients". He returned as a writer for the fifteenth and final season and wrote and directed the episode "Old Times" which featured the several past starring cast members including Noah Wyle
, George Clooney
, Julianna Margulies
, and Eriq La Salle
. When ER ended in 2009, Wells had written 31 episodes, and directed 7.
. Wells served as an executive producer and writer for the series but it was cancelled after only nine episodes due to low ratings. The series won an Emmy Award for composer Martin Davich's music. Davich also worked on ER. The show starred John Spencer, Tate Donovan
and Kim Raver
. It also featured Third Watch
actors Bobby Cannavale
, Skipp Sudduth
, and Molly Price
.
. Wells worked as show runner on Third Watch for its first three seasons and served as an executive producer throughout its six season run. The series focused on emergency services workers across a single shift in New York. The first season began in 1999. Wells and Bernero co-wrote the pilot episode "Welcome to Camelot".
Wells also wrote the first season episodes "Sunny, Like Sunshine", "This Band of Brothers", "Spring Forward, Fall Back", and the first season finale "Young Men and Fire".
Wells wrote four second season episodes the premiere enitled "The Lost", "Faith", "Requiem for a Bantamweight", and the finale "...and Zeus Wept". Wells directed the second season episode "True Love".
Wells wrote a further four episodes for the third season in 2001 – "September Tenth", "After Time", "Adam 55-3", and "Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Days". Bernero took over as show runner after the third season and Wells remained attached as an executive producer until Third Watch ended in 2005 but did not write any more episodes.
for NBC. The series was created by Ann Biderman
. It follows detectives and patrol officers in the titular area of Los Angeles. Wells returned as an executive producer for the second season in fall 2009 and co-wrote the season premiere "Phase Three" with Biderman. NBC canceled the series while the second season was in production but the episodes were picked up and aired by TNT.
TNT renewed the series for a third season and Wells remained an executive producer and writer. He again co-wrote the season premiere "Let It Snow" with Biderman. He also wrote the teleplay for the season finale "Graduation Day" from a story by his ex-assistant Heather Zuhlke.
, starring Ben Affleck
. The film was scheduled for release in the fall of 2010 but premiered earlier at the Sundance film festival. After the Sundance screening, The Hollywood Reporter said, "Wells has made, for his first film, a tough movie and certainly not a commercial one. This displays the kind of guts he always brought to his television work, which one can only hope continues on in other future film projects."
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
, and The West Wing. His company, John Wells Productions, is currently based at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
studios in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, California. Wells is also a labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader, and was elected president of the Writers Guild of America, West
Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
in 2009, after serving a prior term in that office from 1999–2001.
Early life
Wells was born in AlexandriaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia, the son of Marjorie Elizabeth (née Risberg) and Llewellyn Wallace Wells, Jr., an Episcopalian minister. He graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama
Carnegie Mellon School of Drama
The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama is the oldest degree-granting drama program in the United States, founded in 1914 as a division of the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in 1979. A studio theatre at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
bears his name. While at CMU, he was one of the earliest actors to work at City Theatre
City Theatre (Pittsburgh)
City Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Pittsburgh's South Side. It specializes in productions of new plays and has commissioned new works by playwrights on the national theatre scene, including Christopher Durang, Adam Rapp, and Jeffrey Hatcher...
, a prominent fixture of Pittsburgh theatre
Theatre in Pittsburgh
Theatre in Pittsburgh has existed professionally since the early 1800s and has continued to expand, having emerged as an important cultural force in the city over the past 30 years.-History:...
.
Television
Wells was a producer on the 1987 film Nice Girls Don't ExplodeNice Girls Don't Explode
Nice Girls Don't Explode is a 1987 comedy film in which April Flowers is kept away from boys by her overprotective mother because flames have a tendency to spontaneously erupt whenever her hormones are aroused. For April, "protection" on a dinner date is carrying a fire extinguisher...
. He began writing for television with an episode of CBS Summer Playhouse
CBS Summer Playhouse
CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:...
entitled "Roughhouse" in 1988.
China Beach
He was hired as a producer for the second season of ABC drama series China BeachChina Beach
China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans...
in 1988. The show was created by John Sacret Young
John Sacret Young
John Sacret Young is an author, producer, director, and screenwriter primarily in television. Young has been nominated for seven Emmys and seven Writers Guild of America Awards, winning two WGA Awards....
and William Broyles, Jr. and focused on combat medics in the Vietnam war. Wells wrote five episodes for the first season – "X-Mas Chn. Bch. VN, '67", "Tet '68", "Vets" and both parts of the two part season finale "The World".
He was promoted to supervising producer for the third season of China Beach in 1989. He wrote three further episodes for the third season – "Dear China Beach", "Magic", and "The Thanks of a Grateful Nation". He returned as a co-executive producer for the fourth and final season in 1990. He was involved in writing ten further episodes. He co-wrote the story for the season premiere with Sacret Young, Carol Flint
Carol Flint
Carol Flint is a American television producer and writer best known for her work on ER and The West Wing. Flint started her writing career with television series China Beach . After that series ended she started working on the television series L.A...
and Lydia Woodward
Lydia Woodward
Lydia Woodward is an Emmy Award winning television writer and producer. She has worked as both a writer and producer on the primetime serial ER.-Positions held:*Pan Am *The Riches...
and wrote the teleplay himself. He worked with the same team to develop the story for the second episode "She Sells More Than Sea Shells", the third episode "You, Babe", the fourth episode "Escape", the fifth episode "Fever", the sixth episode "Juice", the seventh episode "One Giant Leap" and the eighth episode "One Small Step". He co-wrote the fourteenth episode "Rewind" with Flint. He co-wrote the teleplay and co-wrote the story for the series finale "Hello Goodbye" along with Sacret Young.
Wells wrote sixteen episodes of the series in total. He frequently worked with producer/director Mimi Leder
Mimi Leder
Mimi Leder is an American film director. She was the first female graduate of the AFI Conservatory in 1973.-Movie career:...
on China Beach and she helmed six of the episodes he wrote. China Beach also marked the start of Wells working relationship with casting director John Frank Levey, editors Randy Jon Morgan and Jacque Toberen and directors Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb is an American television director and producer. He has directed episodes of television series such as Quincy, M.E., The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island, The A-Team , ER, The District, The Lyon's Den, Lost, Invasion, Moonlight, Shark, The Pentagon Papers,...
and Fred Gerber
Fred Gerber
Fred Gerber is an American film and television director. Gerber has directed several popular television series which include Family Law, Desperate Housewives and House...
.
TV movies
Wells worked on two television films in 1992 Angel Street and The Nightman. Wells co-wrote and was the co-executive producer of The Nightman. The film was directed by Charles HaidCharles Haid
Charles Maurice Haid III is an American actor and director, with notable work in both movies and television. He is known for his portrayal of Officer Andy Renko in Hill Street Blues....
and is about a young man moving into a hotel run by a mother and daughter. Wells helped to adapt the teleplay from the radio drama by Lucille Fletcher
Lucille Fletcher
Lucille Fletcher was an American screenwriter of film, radio and television. Her full name was Violet Lucille Fletcher...
.
Angel Street was written and executive produced by Wells. It reunited him with several China Beach crew members including director Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb is an American television director and producer. He has directed episodes of television series such as Quincy, M.E., The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island, The A-Team , ER, The District, The Lyon's Den, Lost, Invasion, Moonlight, Shark, The Pentagon Papers,...
, editor Jacque Toberen, and casting director John Frank Levey. The telefilm was followed by a series on which Wells again worked as an executive producer. Wells also wrote the screenplay for Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
Entertaining Angels: the Dorothy Day Story is a 1996 independent film about the life of Dorothy Day, the journalist turned social activist and founder of the Catholic Worker newspaper. The film stars Moira Kelly as Day, Heather Graham, Lenny Von Dohlen and Martin Sheen.Both Kelly and Sheen are also...
, the project was produced in 1996 and starred Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
and Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly is an American actress. She is best known for playing single mother Karen Roe on the teen drama One Tree Hill. She also directed two episodes of the series: "Resolve" and "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"...
.
ER
In 1994 Wells was hired as an executive producer for the pilot of NBC medical drama ERER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. The show was created by novelist Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
. The pilot episode was directed by frequent Wells collaborator Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb is an American television director and producer. He has directed episodes of television series such as Quincy, M.E., The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island, The A-Team , ER, The District, The Lyon's Den, Lost, Invasion, Moonlight, Shark, The Pentagon Papers,...
and John Frank Levey was involved as a casting director. The pilot was edited by frequent China Beach editor Randy Jon Morgan.
Wells became the show runner and head writer for the ongoing series that followed the pilot. He was credited as an executive producer for all fifteen seasons of the series and served as the show runner for the first six seasons. He hired China Beach writer Lydia Woodward
Lydia Woodward
Lydia Woodward is an Emmy Award winning television writer and producer. She has worked as both a writer and producer on the primetime serial ER.-Positions held:*Pan Am *The Riches...
as a supervising producer and writer. China Beach director Mimi Leder
Mimi Leder
Mimi Leder is an American film director. She was the first female graduate of the AFI Conservatory in 1973.-Movie career:...
also became a supervising producer and regular director. ER marked the start of Wells longstanding collaboration with producer/director Christopher Chulack
Christopher Chulack
Christopher Chulack is an American television producer and director. He has worked extensively on ER and has won several awards.-ER:Chulack began working on the NBC medical drama ER as a director and producer with the first season. He was promoted to co-executive producer midway through the third...
and music composer Martin Davich.
Wells wrote five episodes of the first season including the second episode "Day One", "Chicago Heat", "Feb 5 1995", "The Birthday Party", and the season finale "Everything Old Is New Again".
Wells and the producers were nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series
This page lists the winners and nominees for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, since its institution in 1951. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at the Emmys ceremonies, and has changed names many times in its history. It was first called Best Dramatic Show...
at the 1995 ceremony
47th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 47th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 10, 1995. The awards show was hosted by Jason Alexander and Cybill Shepherd. It was broadcast on Fox...
for their work on the first season. The season was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards and won 8 in total. Wells and Michael Crichton won a Producers Guild of America Award at the 1994 ceremony
Producers Guild of America Awards 1994
The 6th PGA Golden Laurel Awards, given in the The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Los Angeles, California, USA on 8 March 1995, honored the best film and television producers of 1994.-Film:*Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award:...
. Wells and Crichton also received an honorable mention at the Wise Owl Awards in the Television and Theatrical Film Fiction category.
Wells remained show runner for the second season in 1995. He hired his China Beach colleague Carol Flint
Carol Flint
Carol Flint is a American television producer and writer best known for her work on ER and The West Wing. Flint started her writing career with television series China Beach . After that series ended she started working on the television series L.A...
as a co-executive producer for the second season. Wells wrote four more episodes for the second season – the season premiere "Welcome Back, Carter!", "Dead of Winter", "The Healers", and the season finale "John Carter MD". Wells and the producers won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1996 ceremony
48th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, USA. They were presented in two ceremonies, one untelevised on September 7, 1996 and other televised on September 8, 1996. It was hosted by Michael J...
for their work on the second season. Wells was also nominated for a Humanitas Prize (in the 60 minute category) and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "The Healers".
Wells remained the head writer for the third season in 1996 and wrote the season premiere "Doctor Carter, I Presume", "Faith", and the season finale "One More For The Road". Wells and the producers were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1997 ceremony
49th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California in 1997. They were presented in two ceremonies hosted by Bryant Gumbel, one on September 13 and another on September 14...
for their work on the third season. Wells was again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "Faith".
He continued in the same capacity for the fourth season in 1997 and wrote two further episodes "Fathers and Sons", and "Carter's Choice". Wells also made his television directing debut with his screenplay "Carter's Choice". Wells and the producers were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1998 ceremony
50th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 13, 1998. It was broadcast on NBC. Nominees and winners are listed below, winners are in bold.- Outstanding Comedy Series :*3rd Rock from the Sun, NBC*Ally McBeal, FOX...
for their work on the fourth season.
Wells returned as head writer for the fifth season in 1998. He wrote both parts of the two part episode "The Storm" and also directed the first part. Wells and the producers were once again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 1999 ceremony
51st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 12, 1999. The awards show was hosted by Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce. It was broadcast on Fox...
for their work on the fifth season. Wells stood down as show runner after the fifth season but remained an executive producer and major creative force behind the series. In the 1999–2000 TV season his company Wells productions launched two new series The West Wing
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
and Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
.
Woodward took over as show runner for the sixth season but Wells wrote "The Peace of Wild Things" and wrote and directed "Such Sweet Sorrow". Wells and the producers were once again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2000 ceremony
52nd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 52nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 10, 2000. The awards show was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC...
for their work on the sixth season but lost out to Wells' other show The West Wing. Wells was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series is an Emmy presented to the best directing of a television drama series.-Best Direction of a Single Program of a Drama Series:*1959: Jack Smight – Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre ...
for his work on "Such Sweet Sorrow". He was also nominated for the 2000 PGA Vision Award
Producers Guild of America Awards 2000
The 12th PGA Golden Laurel Awards, given at the Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, California, USA on 3 March 2001, honored the best film and television producers of 2000.-Film:*Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award:...
for his work on ER, Third Watch and The West Wing.
Wells continued to write for the seventh season and contributed two episodes "The Visit", and "A Walk in the Woods". Wells was nominated for a Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
for his work on "A Walk in the Woods". Wells and the producers were once again nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series at the 2001 ceremony
53rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were finally held Sunday, November 4, 2001, seven weeks late. The awards show was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and was broadcast on CBS. The ceremony was re-scheduled twice from its original date of September 16 at the Shrine Auditorium because of the September...
for their work on the seventh season and were again beaten by Wells' other series The West Wing.
For the eighth season Wells wrote the episode "Secrets and Lies" and wrote the penultimate episode "On the Beach" which featured the departure of longterm cast member Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Charles Edwards is an American actor and director. He has appeared in various movies and television shows, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Top Gun, Zodiac, Revenge of the Nerds, Northern Exposure and ER.-Early life:Edwards was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Erika...
. Wells was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for his work on "On the Beach" at the 2002 ceremony
54th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 22, 2002. Nominations were announced July 22, 2002. The awards show was hosted by Conan O'Brien and was broadcast on NBC...
. He was also nominated for a further Humanitas Prize and a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
at the 2003 ceremony
Writers Guild of America Awards 2002
The 55th Writers Guild of America Awards, given in 2003, honored the film and television best writers of 2002.-Best Original Screenplay: Bowling for Columbine - Michael Moore*Antwone Fisher - Antwone Fisher*Far from Heaven - Todd Haynes...
for the episode.
For the ninth season Wells wrote the final episode "Kisangani". The episode was set in Africa and followed the characters of John Carter
John Carter (ER)
Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the television series ER. The character, called simply "Carter" by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode and appeared for eleven consecutive seasons. Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular...
and Luka Kovač
Luka Kovac
Dr. Luka Kovač is a fictional character on the television series ER portrayed by Goran Visnjic. Visnjic's character was added to the cast at the beginning of Season 6 following the mid-season 5 departure of leading character Dr. Doug Ross, played by George Clooney.Luka Kovač is an emergency room...
. He returned in fall 2003 to write the tenth season premiere "Now What?" and second episode "The Lost". The episodes continued to deal with Carter and Kovac's travels in Africa, particularly "The Lost" which featured Carter searching for a missing Kovac in the Congo. Wells also wrote mid-season episode "Makemba" which dealt with Carter beginning a relationship with the titular character, an AIDS worker. He wrote the penultimate episode "Midnight" which featured Carter's return to Chicago with a pregnant Makemba. Wells was again nominated for a Humanitas Prize, this time for his work on "Makemba".
He continued to handle Carter's storylines for the eleventh season and wrote the penultimate episode "Carter est Amoureux" and directed the finale "The Show Must Go On" which marked the departure of Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
(who played Carter) from the starring cast. For the twelfth season Wells co-wrote the premiere episode "Canon City" with Lisa Zwerling
Lisa Zwerling
Lisa Zwerling is an American physician , television writer and producer...
and Joe Sachs
Joe Sachs
Joe Sachs is an American television writer and producer. He has worked extensively on ER in both capacities.-Career:Sachs is a qualified doctor who first became involved with ER as a technical advisor midway through the first season...
.
Wells served solely as an executive producer and director on the thirteenth and fourteenth seasons. He directed the thirteenth season episode "Jigsaw", and the fourteenth episode "300 Patients". He returned as a writer for the fifteenth and final season and wrote and directed the episode "Old Times" which featured the several past starring cast members including Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
, George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
, Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies
Julianna Luisa Margulies is an American actress and producer.After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award...
, and Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle is an American actor and director, known for his portrayals of Darryl in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America and Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC drama series ER.-Early life:...
. When ER ended in 2009, Wells had written 31 episodes, and directed 7.
Trinity
Wells Productions also produced Trinity, a short lived NBC family drama focusing on an Irish-American family in Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
. Wells served as an executive producer and writer for the series but it was cancelled after only nine episodes due to low ratings. The series won an Emmy Award for composer Martin Davich's music. Davich also worked on ER. The show starred John Spencer, Tate Donovan
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
and Kim Raver
Kim Raver
Kimberly Jayne "Kim" Raver is an American actress.She is best known for her numerous roles on TV: as Kim Zambrano on Third Watch, Audrey Raines on 24, Nico Reilly on Lipstick Jungle, and, most recently, Teddy Altman on Grey's Anatomy.-Personal life:Raver was raised in New York City by her mother,...
. It also featured Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
actors Bobby Cannavale
Bobby Cannavale
Robert M. "Bobby" Cannavale is an American actor known for his leading role as Bobby Caffey in the first two seasons of the television series Third Watch. He also had a recurring role as Officer Vince D'Angelo on the comedy series Will & Grace.-Early life:Cannavale grew up in Union City, New...
, Skipp Sudduth
Skipp Sudduth
Robert Lee Sudduth IV , generally known by his stage name Skipp Sudduth, is an American theater, film, and TV actor. Sudduth is perhaps best known for his role in the movie Ronin and his lead in the TV drama Third Watch....
, and Molly Price
Molly Price
-Personal life:Price was born in North Plainfield, New Jersey, and graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1984.She is a graduate of Rutgers University. She is married to a New York City Fire Department firefighter Derek Kelly...
.
Third Watch
Wells co-created Third Watch with ex-Chicago police officer Edward Allen BerneroEdward Allen Bernero
Edward Allen Bernero is an American television writer, producer and director. He co-created the series Third Watch and has worked as an executive producer on Criminal Minds...
. Wells worked as show runner on Third Watch for its first three seasons and served as an executive producer throughout its six season run. The series focused on emergency services workers across a single shift in New York. The first season began in 1999. Wells and Bernero co-wrote the pilot episode "Welcome to Camelot".
Wells also wrote the first season episodes "Sunny, Like Sunshine", "This Band of Brothers", "Spring Forward, Fall Back", and the first season finale "Young Men and Fire".
Wells wrote four second season episodes the premiere enitled "The Lost", "Faith", "Requiem for a Bantamweight", and the finale "...and Zeus Wept". Wells directed the second season episode "True Love".
Wells wrote a further four episodes for the third season in 2001 – "September Tenth", "After Time", "Adam 55-3", and "Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Days". Bernero took over as show runner after the third season and Wells remained attached as an executive producer until Third Watch ended in 2005 but did not write any more episodes.
The West Wing
Wells took over as show runner of The West Wing in 2003 for the fifth season. He ran the show for three seasons until its conclusion in 2006.Southland
During the 2008 to 2009 television season Wells developed SouthlandSouthland (TV series)
Southland is an American drama series created by writer Ann Biderman and produced by Warner Bros. Television. It premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009...
for NBC. The series was created by Ann Biderman
Ann Biderman
Ann Biderman is an American film and television writer. She is the creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed NBC/TNT series Southland, and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Drama Series for an episode of NYPD Blue.-Career:In the 2008 to 2009...
. It follows detectives and patrol officers in the titular area of Los Angeles. Wells returned as an executive producer for the second season in fall 2009 and co-wrote the season premiere "Phase Three" with Biderman. NBC canceled the series while the second season was in production but the episodes were picked up and aired by TNT.
TNT renewed the series for a third season and Wells remained an executive producer and writer. He again co-wrote the season premiere "Let It Snow" with Biderman. He also wrote the teleplay for the season finale "Graduation Day" from a story by his ex-assistant Heather Zuhlke.
Film
Wells made his directorial debut with the film drama The Company MenThe Company Men
The Company Men is an American drama film written and directed by John Wells. It premiered at the 26th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010 and had a one-week run in December 10, 2010 to be eligible for the year's Academy Awards...
, starring Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
. The film was scheduled for release in the fall of 2010 but premiered earlier at the Sundance film festival. After the Sundance screening, The Hollywood Reporter said, "Wells has made, for his first film, a tough movie and certainly not a commercial one. This displays the kind of guts he always brought to his television work, which one can only hope continues on in other future film projects."
Filmography
| Name | TV/Film | Year | Position | Other details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Company Men The Company Men The Company Men is an American drama film written and directed by John Wells. It premiered at the 26th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010 and had a one-week run in December 10, 2010 to be eligible for the year's Academy Awards... |
Film | 2010 | Director | Completed |
| Goat | Film | 2010 | Executive producer | Currently in production |
| Major Bummer | Film | 2010 | Producer | Currently in production |
| Electric Slide | Film | 2008 | Executive producer | Currently in production |
| Positively Fifth Street Positively Fifth Street Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker is a memoir by Chicago area author James McManus set during the 2000 World Series of Poker.... |
Film | 2009 | Executive producer | Announced |
| Dirty Girl | Film | 2009 | executive producer | In production |
| Motherhood Motherhood (film) Motherhood is a 2009 independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann and starring Uma Thurman.-Plot:In New York's West Village, a mother's dilemmas of marriage, work, and self are shown in the trials and tribulations of one pivotal day.-Cast:* Uma Thurman as Eliza Welsh,... |
Film | |||
| Southland Southland (TV series) Southland is an American drama series created by writer Ann Biderman and produced by Warner Bros. Television. It premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009... |
TV | 2009 | Executive producer | Formerly known as LAPD, then Police |
| ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
TV | 1994–2009 | Executive producer | |
| Gigantic Gigantic (film) Gigantic is a 2008 independent comedy film directed by Matt Aselton and starring Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman, Edward Asner and Jane Alexander... |
Film | 2008 | Executive producer | |
| Then She Found Me Then She Found Me Then She Found Me is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Helen Hunt. The screenplay by Hunt, Alice Arlen, and Victor Levin is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Elinor Lipman... |
Film | 2007 | executive producer | |
| I'm Not There I'm Not There I'm Not There is a 2007 biographical musical film directed by Todd Haynes, inspired by iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's life and public persona: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw... |
Film | 2007 | Executive producer | |
| Savage Grace Savage Grace Savage Grace is a 2007 film directed by Tom Kalin and written by Howard Rodman, based on the book Savage Grace by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson. The story is based on the dysfunctional, allegedly incestuous relationship between heiress and socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland and her son, Antony... |
Film | 2007 | ||
| Smith Smith (TV series) Smith is an American television drama that premiered on September 16, 2006 at 10:00 PM ET on CBS and on September 18, 2006 on CTV in Canada... |
TV | 2006 | Creator | Cut after 3 of 7 episodes were aired |
| An American Crime An American Crime An American Crime is a 2007 American crime-drama film starring Ellen Page and Catherine Keener. The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski... |
Film | 2007 | Executive producer | |
| Infamous Infamous (film) Infamous is a 2006 American drama film, based on the 1997 book by George Plimpton, Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career.... |
Film | 2006 | ||
| The West Wing | TV | 1999–2006 | ||
| The Evidence The Evidence (TV series) The Evidence is an American police procedural drama that debuted on March 22, 2006 on ABC. The series starred Rob Estes, Orlando Jones, and Martin Landau.-Summary:... |
TV | 2006 | Producer | |
| Prodigy/Bully | ||||
| Doom Doom (film) Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak.... |
Film | 2005 | ||
| Mrs. Harris | Film | 2005 | ||
| The Notorious Bettie Page The Notorious Bettie Page The Notorious Bettie Page is a 2005 American biographical film directed by Mary Harron. The screenplay by Harron and Guinevere Turner focuses on 1950s pinup and bondage model Bettie Page.-Plot:... |
Film | 2005 | ||
| Nearing Grace Nearing Grace Nearing Grace is a 2005 film directed by Rick Rosenthal, based on the novel by Scott Sommer.-Storyline:A coming-of-age independent feature film set in late 1970s, Nearing Grace follows high school senior Henry Nearing... |
Film | 2005 | ||
| Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each.... |
TV | 1999–2005 | ||
| Duma Duma (film) Duma is a 2005 drama adventure film, directed by Carroll Ballard. It stars Alexander Michaletos, Eamonn Walker, Hope Davis and Campbell Scott... |
Film | 2005 | ||
| Jonny Zero Jonny Zero Jonny Zero is an action-crime drama television series that aired on the Fox network in 2005. It starred Franky G, GQ, and Brennan Hesser. It was cancelled after eight episodes. It began airing on Monday nights on ABC TV in Australia in early 2007.-Plot:... |
2005 | Cancelled after 8 episodes | ||
| A Dirty Shame A Dirty Shame A Dirty Shame is a 2004 satirical sex comedy written and directed by John Waters, and starring Tracey Ullman, Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd, and Mink Stole.-Plot:... |
Film | 2004 | Executive producer | |
| A Home at the End of the World A Home at the End of the World (film) A Home at the End of the World is a 2004 drama film directed by Michael Mayer. The screenplay by Michael Cunningham was adapted from his 1990 novel of the same title.-Plot synopsis:... |
Film | 2004 | Producer | |
| Dark Shadows Dark Shadows (2004) Dark Shadows is a one hour pilot that was a remake of the 1966–1971 series Dark Shadows. The pilot was commissioned by The WB Television Network and produced in 2004. Directed by P. J. Hogan, it was filmed at the Greystone Mansion, which also served as the Collinwood Mansion for the previous... |
TV | 2004 | Executive producer | Never aired |
| The Company | Film | 2003 | Executive producer | |
| Camp Camp (film) Camp is a 2003 American independent musical film written and directed by Todd Graff, about an upstate New York performing arts summer camp. The film is based on Graff's own experiences at a similar camp called Stagedoor Manor. The film was released in 2003 by IFC Films.-Plot:The film centers on the... |
Film | 2003 | Executive producer | |
| Party Monster | Film | 2003 | Executive producer | |
| The Big Time The Big Time The Big Time is a short science fiction novel by Fritz Leiber. It won the Hugo Award in 1958.The Big Time is a vast, cosmic back story, hidden behind a claustrophobic front story with only a few characters.-Plot:... |
TV | 2002 | Executive producer | |
| Presidio Med Presidio Med Presidio Med is an American Television series which aired 2002–2003, centering around a San Francisco hospital. It was created by John Wells and Lydia Woodward, who also created ER.-Series premise:... |
TV | 2002–2003 | Creator | |
| The Good Thief | Film | 2002 | Producer | |
| White Oleander | Film | 2002 | Producer | |
| Far from Heaven Far from Heaven Far from Heaven is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, and Patricia Clarkson.... |
Film | 2002 | Executive producer | |
| The West Wing Documentary Special | TV | Documentary | ||
| One Hour Photo One Hour Photo One Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. Fox Searchlight Pictures distributed the film in the United States. One Hour Photo also starred Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle. Williams won a... |
Film | 2002 | Executive producer | |
| Citizen Baines | TV | 2001 | Writer | Cut after 6 of 9 episodes were aired |
| The Grey Zone The Grey Zone The Grey Zone is a 2001 film directed by Tim Blake Nelson and starring David Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino and Daniel Benzali. It is based on the book Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account written by Dr. Miklós Nyiszli.... |
||||
| Trinity | TV | 2001 | ||
| The Peacemaker | Film | 1997 | Co-executive producer | |
| Angel Street | ||||
| The Nightman | ||||
| CBS Summer Playhouse: Roughhouse CBS Summer Playhouse CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:... |
TV | 1987–1989 | ||
| Nice Girls Don't Explode Nice Girls Don't Explode Nice Girls Don't Explode is a 1987 comedy film in which April Flowers is kept away from boys by her overprotective mother because flames have a tendency to spontaneously erupt whenever her hormones are aroused. For April, "protection" on a dinner date is carrying a fire extinguisher... |
Film | 1987 |