Michael Davies (television producer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Davies is a British
producer of television game shows in the United States
. As president and CEO of Embassy Row, a New York
-based television production company that is a unit of Sony Pictures Television
, he was the executive producer of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
from 1999-2010. He is also the producer of ESPN's 2 Minute Drill
, VH1's World Series of Pop Culture, CBS's Power of 10
, and the GSN originals: Chain Reaction
, Grand Slam, and GSN's remake of The Newlywed Game
. He also wrote a blog on the 2006 World Cup
for espn.com
. Davies also is currently working on plans for a 2009 revival of Pyramid
for CBS Daytime. Although CBS announced plans to revive another classic game show, Let's Make a Deal
, there is speculation that Pyramid could return in syndication
.
Born in London
in 1966, Davies attended Mercersburg Academy
in Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Edinburgh
. He lives in Tribeca
, New York City, with his wife, two young daughters and one young son. He also has a third daughter, Brea age 20 from a previous marriage. Davies is also an avid fan of the West London soccer team, Chelsea F.C. and the Australian musician Kylie Minogue as well as the term "pants", which he employed a great deal in his FIFA World Cup 2006 coverage.
Aside from his production duties, he also produces and hosts the pre-game coverage of the RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship
for BBC America
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
producer of television game shows in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As president and CEO of Embassy Row, a New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based television production company that is a unit of Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
, he was the executive producer of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
from 1999-2010. He is also the producer of ESPN's 2 Minute Drill
2 Minute Drill
2 Minute Drill is an ESPN game show based on the general knowledge UK game show Mastermind. The program aired from September 11, 2000 to December 28, 2001...
, VH1's World Series of Pop Culture, CBS's Power of 10
Power of 10
Power of 10 is an international Sony Pictures Television game show format featuring contestants predicting how a cross-section of local people from the host broadcaster's country responded to questions covering a wide variety of topics in polls conducted by the broadcaster and production...
, and the GSN originals: Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction (game show)
Chain Reaction is an American game show created by Bob Stewart, in which players compete to form chains composed of two-word phrases.The show aired three separate runs: Bill Cullen hosted the original series on NBC from January 14 to June 20, 1980...
, Grand Slam, and GSN's remake of The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game is an American television game show that pits newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know each other. The program, originally created by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir The Newlywed Game is an American...
. He also wrote a blog on the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
for espn.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
. Davies also is currently working on plans for a 2009 revival of Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
for CBS Daytime. Although CBS announced plans to revive another classic game show, Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, there is speculation that Pyramid could return in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
.
Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1966, Davies attended Mercersburg Academy
Mercersburg Academy
Mercersburg Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school for grades 9-12 located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's mission is:...
in Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He lives in Tribeca
TriBeCa
Tribeca is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Its name is an acronym based on the words "Triangle below Canal Street", and is properly bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Broadway, and Vesey Street...
, New York City, with his wife, two young daughters and one young son. He also has a third daughter, Brea age 20 from a previous marriage. Davies is also an avid fan of the West London soccer team, Chelsea F.C. and the Australian musician Kylie Minogue as well as the term "pants", which he employed a great deal in his FIFA World Cup 2006 coverage.
Aside from his production duties, he also produces and hosts the pre-game coverage of the RBS Six Nations Rugby Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
for BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
.