Rob Lotterstein
Encyclopedia
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 at Home
. Lotterstein currently serves as executive producer on the Disney Channel
original series Shake It Up!
.
for HBO's Emmy Award
winning show Dream On
. It was during his time writing for the show Dream On
that Lotterstein first began working with Ellen Idelson
, who would become his writing partner for nearly the next 10 years until her death in 2003. Some of his notable writing/producing credits include The Nanny
, Boy Meets World
, Suddenly Susan
, Ellen
, Will & Grace
and Darren Star
's Grosse Pointe
. Lotterstein was the creator, writer, and executive producer of the show The War At Home
for which he was nominated for a GLAAD Award as well as The Humanitas Prize
. In 2010, he made a cameo
on the FOX
animated series Family Guy
providing the voice of a CBS
executive trying to "refine" Brian's script for a television pilot
. Lotterstein currently serves as executive producer
of the Disney Channel
's dance-driven sitcom Shake It Up!
.
and raised in the Jewish
faith. He graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in marketing and went on to earn a masters degree in advertising from Northwestern University
. Lotterstein is openly
gay, and currently lives in Los Angeles
with his partner, Phil Oster.
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 creator. He has produced and written for numerous television sitcoms including Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...
, Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
, Ellen
Ellen (TV series)
Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas...
, and Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, as well as serving as creator and executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of the critically acclaimed FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
sitcom The War at Home
The War at Home (TV series)
The War at Home is an American sitcom that ran from September 11, 2005 to April 22, 2007 on Fox. It follows the antics of a largely dysfunctional Long Island family...
. Lotterstein currently serves as executive producer on 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...
.
Career
Lotterstein began his career writing commercials before landing his first job as a staff writerStaff writer
Staff writer is a byline that indicates that the author of the article at hand is employed by the periodical that published the article as a regular staff member, and not as a freelance writer or special contributor....
for HBO's 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...
winning show Dream On
Dream On (TV series)
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
. It was during his time writing for the show Dream On
Dream On (TV series)
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
that Lotterstein first began working with Ellen Idelson
Ellen Idelson
Ellen Idelson was an American television producer, writer and actress.-Life and career:Idelson was born Los Angeles, California...
, who would become his writing partner for nearly the next 10 years until her death in 2003. Some of his notable writing/producing credits include The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
, Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...
, Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
, Ellen
Ellen (TV series)
Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas...
, Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
and Darren Star
Darren Star
Darren Bennett Star is an American producer, director and writer for film and television. He is best known for creating the hit TV shows Melrose Place, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sex and the City.-Career:...
's Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe (TV series)
Grosse Pointe is an American television parody series which aired on the WB Network during the 2000-2001 television season. Created by Darren Star, it was a satire depicting the behind-the-scenes drama on the set of a television show, and was inspired in large part by Star's experiences as the...
. Lotterstein was the creator, writer, and executive producer of the show The War At Home
The War at Home (TV series)
The War at Home is an American sitcom that ran from September 11, 2005 to April 22, 2007 on Fox. It follows the antics of a largely dysfunctional Long Island family...
for which he was nominated for a GLAAD Award as well as The 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...
. In 2010, he made a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
on the FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated series Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
providing the voice of a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
executive trying to "refine" Brian's script for a television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
. Lotterstein currently serves as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of 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...
's 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...
.
Personal life
Lotterstein was born in Roslyn, New YorkRoslyn, New York
Roslyn is a village in Nassau County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 2,770...
and raised in the Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
faith. He graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in marketing and went on to earn a masters degree in advertising from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. Lotterstein is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay, and currently lives 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...
with his partner, Phil Oster.
Television
| Year | Series | As | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–present | 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... |
Executive producer | |
| 2010 | Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Actor - Role: Television Executive (voice) | Episode 8.15: Brian Griffin's House of Payne |
| 2005–2007 | The War at Home The War at Home (TV series) The War at Home is an American sitcom that ran from September 11, 2005 to April 22, 2007 on Fox. It follows the antics of a largely dysfunctional Long Island family... |
Creator / executive producer | |
| 2005 | The Bad Girl's Guide The Bad Girl's Guide The Bad Girl's Guide is an American television program starring Jenny McCarthy, Marcelle Larice, Christina Moore, Stephanie Childers and Johnathan McClain. The series aired on UPN from May 24, 2005 to July 5, 2005.... |
Co-executive producer / writer | |
| 2004 | The Big House The Big House (2004 TV series) The Big House is an American prime time television sitcom starring actor/comedian Kevin Hart. It ran on the ABC television network in April 2004, lasting for only six episodes.... |
Co-executive producer / writer | |
| 2003 | Sixteen to Life | Creator / executive producer | Unaired pilot |
| 2001 | Danny Danny (TV series) Danny is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS. The series was created, executive produced and starred Daniel Stern.It was one of the last comedies to aired to air on CBS's Friday night lineup airing along with The Ellen Show which premiered at the same time... |
Co-executive producer | |
| 2000–2001 | Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe (TV series) Grosse Pointe is an American television parody series which aired on the WB Network during the 2000-2001 television season. Created by Darren Star, it was a satire depicting the behind-the-scenes drama on the set of a television show, and was inspired in large part by Star's experiences as the... |
Supervising producer / writer | |
| 1999–2000 | Suddenly Susan Suddenly Susan Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else... |
Producer / writer | |
| 1999–2000 | Will & Grace Will & Grace Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters... |
Writer | |
| 1999 | Working Working (TV series) Working was an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1997 to 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal.-Synopsis:... |
Co-producer | |
| 1998 | Holding the Baby Holding the Baby Holding the Baby was a 1997 UK sitcom television series produced by Granada Television. It lasted for two seasons. The series' average audience in 1997 was 6.85 million viewers, making it the 16th-highest rated British sitcom that year.... |
Writer | |
| 1997–1998 | Boy Meets World Boy Meets World Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the... |
Writer / executive story editor | |
| 1996–1997 | Ellen Ellen (TV series) Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas... |
Writer | |
| 1995–1996 | Caroline in the City Caroline in the City Caroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran from September 21, 1995 to April 26, 1999 on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.-Premise:Caroline Duffy is a... |
Writer | |
| 1995 | The Nanny The Nanny Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons... |
Writer | |
| 1995 | Dream On Dream On (TV series) Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts... |
Writer |