Lee David Zlotoff
Encyclopedia
Lee David Zlotoff is a producer, director and screenwriter best known as the creator of the TV series MacGyver
. He started as a screenwriter writing for Hill Street Blues
in 1981. He then became a producer of Remington Steele
in 1982.
Zlotoff created MacGyver, which ran on ABC
between 1985 and 1992 and was sold throughout the world. He then produced the television series The Man from Snowy River
(Australia
n title: Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River — American
title: Snowy River: The McGregor Saga). The series was loosely based on the Banjo Patterson poem "The Man from Snowy River".
He wrote and directed the 1996 film The Spitfire Grill
, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival
and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Zlotoff graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
in 1970. He then went on to St. John's College
in Annapolis, Maryland
.
He contributes to Make
magazine.
At the 2008 Maker Faire
, Zlotoff announced his interest in a MacGyver
movie. Zlotoff said he had full control of the movie after obtaining the rights several years ago. He also has written two of the episodes for the TV series NCIS
in season 3 and season 7 of the series.
In 2010, a feature film version
of the Saturday Night Live
parody of MacGyver, MacGruber, prompted Zlotoff to send cease-and-desist letters and threaten further legal action.
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
. He started as a screenwriter writing for Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
in 1981. He then became a producer of Remington Steele
Remington Steele
Remington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic...
in 1982.
Zlotoff created MacGyver, which ran on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
between 1985 and 1992 and was sold throughout the world. He then produced the television series The Man from Snowy River
The Man From Snowy River (TV series)
The Man from Snowy River is an Australian television series based on Banjo Paterson's poem "The Man from Snowy River". Released in Australia as Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River, the series was subsequently released in the United States as Snowy River: The McGregor Saga.The television...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n title: Banjo Paterson's The Man from Snowy River — American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
title: Snowy River: The McGregor Saga). The series was loosely based on the Banjo Patterson poem "The Man from Snowy River".
He wrote and directed the 1996 film The Spitfire Grill
The Spitfire Grill
The Spitfire Grill is a 1996 American motion picture that tells a story of a woman who was just released from prison and goes to work in a small-town café known as The Spitfire Grill. A central theme is redemption....
, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Zlotoff graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
in 1970. He then went on to St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.
He contributes to Make
Make (magazine)
Make is an American quarterly magazine published by O'Reilly Media which focuses on do it yourself and/or DIWO projects involving computers, electronics, robotics, metalworking, woodworking and other disciplines...
magazine.
At the 2008 Maker Faire
Maker Faire
Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself mindset".-Past events:The first was held April 22 – 23, 2006, at the San Mateo Fairgrounds...
, Zlotoff announced his interest in a MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
movie. Zlotoff said he had full control of the movie after obtaining the rights several years ago. He also has written two of the episodes for the TV series NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
in season 3 and season 7 of the series.
In 2010, a feature film version
MacGruber (film)
MacGruber is a 2010 American action comedy film based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, itself a parody of action-adventure television series MacGyver. The film stars Will Forte in the title role; Kristen Wiig as his love interest/partner, Vicki St...
of the Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
parody of MacGyver, MacGruber, prompted Zlotoff to send cease-and-desist letters and threaten further legal action.