Thursday,
October 11, 2001
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
2-105
Abstract
The television drama series has been a dominant force in our
culture for the past fifty years. The advent of cable and satellite
broadcasting and the emergence of the Internet have transformed
the TV medium in general, and its story-telling functions in
particular. In this Forum, writer/producers for such innovative
shows as The West Wing and Party of Five will
discuss the current state of television drama, the commercial
realities and artistic possibilities of TV today and in the
future.
Speakers
Julia Dahl is currently on the writing staff for NBC's
The West Wing and is attached to write the third installment
of HBO's If These Walls Could Talk. She also wrote and
produced three seasons of Party of Five, has written
several screenplays, and had a full-length play, Wonderland,
produced off-Broadway. Dahl attended Tufts University, but left
in her junior year to pursue her writing career.
John
Romano has been writer, producer and consultant on more
than a dozen television shows including Hill Street Blues,
L.A.Law, Knot's Landing, Party of Five, Third
Watch, and Providence. In addition, he has created
three series of his own: Class of '96 (Fox); Sweet
Justice (NBC) with Cicely Tyson; and Michael Hayes
(NBC) starring David Caruso. Previously, Romano was assistant
professor of English at Columbia University, and is the author
of Dickens and Reality (Columbia, 1979).