Terry Louise Fisher
Encyclopedia
Terry Louise Fisher is an Emmy Award
-winning American
television producer
, screenwriter
and novelist.
in 1968. She later worked for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office and moved from that into Entertainment Law. While a Los Angeles
lawyer, Fisher wrote two novels, both published by the Warner Publishing Company. The first, entitled A Class Act, was published in 1976. The second, entitled Good Behavior, was published in 1979. Both are no longer in print. After ten years in the law field, Fisher decided to pursue her true passion of writing full-time and quit practicing law.
police procedural Cagney & Lacey
in 1982. Between 1983 and 1987, she wrote for other series and television films. In 1985, she left Cagney & Lacey, but returned many years later for the series' reunion films Cagney and Lacey: The Return (1994) and Cagney and Lacey: Together Again (1995), both of which she co-wrote.
, which she co-created with famed Hill Street Blues
producer Steven Bochco
. She served as a supervising producer and writer for many of the series early episodes. Her writing for the series won her a shared Primetime Emmy Award in 1987, and two additional shared nominations in 1988.
In 1988, a legal battle with Steven Bochco led to her departure from the series, when a negotiation for her to take over Bochco's role as the series' executive producer failed, and she was banned from the set.
Prior to this, she had also co-created the comedy-drama series Hooperman
with Bochco in 1987. The series starred John Ritter
and ran for two seasons on ABC
.
, which was produced by Aaron Spelling
and directed by Joel Schumacher
. She later took part in the production of a highly anticipated primetime soap opera pilot, entitled Daughters of Eve, which was to star Sophia Loren
and premiere during the 1995-1996 television season
. However, the series was not picked up.
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
-winning American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television 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...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and novelist.
Early career
Fisher attended UCLA School of LawUCLA School of Law
The UCLA School of Law is the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. It has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1950. It joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1952.- History :...
in 1968. She later worked for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office and moved from that into Entertainment Law. While a 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...
lawyer, Fisher wrote two novels, both published by the Warner Publishing Company. The first, entitled A Class Act, was published in 1976. The second, entitled Good Behavior, was published in 1979. Both are no longer in print. After ten years in the law field, Fisher decided to pursue her true passion of writing full-time and quit practicing law.
Early years
She began her television career as a writer and producer for the new CBSCBS
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...
police procedural Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey
Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
in 1982. Between 1983 and 1987, she wrote for other series and television films. In 1985, she left Cagney & Lacey, but returned many years later for the series' reunion films Cagney and Lacey: The Return (1994) and Cagney and Lacey: Together Again (1995), both of which she co-wrote.
L.A. Law
Fisher's most notable series was L.A. LawL.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
, which she co-created with famed 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 ...
producer Steven Bochco
Steven Bochco
Steven Ronald Bochco is a US television producer and writer. He has developed a number of popular television hits including Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue, as well as some notable flops such as Cop Rock....
. She served as a supervising producer and writer for many of the series early episodes. Her writing for the series won her a shared Primetime Emmy Award in 1987, and two additional shared nominations in 1988.
In 1988, a legal battle with Steven Bochco led to her departure from the series, when a negotiation for her to take over Bochco's role as the series' executive producer failed, and she was banned from the set.
Prior to this, she had also co-created the comedy-drama series Hooperman
Hooperman
Hooperman is a U.S. television series starring John Ritter. It ran for two seasons on ABC, from 1987 to 1989. A comedy-drama, the series was created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher who were the team responsible for creating L.A. Law....
with Bochco in 1987. The series starred John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
and ran for two seasons 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...
.
Post-L.A. Law
Fisher wrote the 1992 short-lived summer series 2000 Malibu Road2000 Malibu Road
2000 Malibu Road is a prime time American soap opera that aired on CBS in the summer of 1992. The series stars Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Beals, Brian Bloom, Scott Bryce, Lisa Hartman, Tuesday Knight, and Michael T...
, which was produced by Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
and directed by Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
. She later took part in the production of a highly anticipated primetime soap opera pilot, entitled Daughters of Eve, which was to star Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
and premiere during the 1995-1996 television season
1995-96 United States network television schedule
This was the United States broadcast television schedule on all six commercial television networks for the Fall season beginning in September 1995. All times are Eastern and Pacific.New series highlighted in bold....
. However, the series was not picked up.