Dan Erickson

American screenwriter

This article is about the screenwriter. For the fictional Saw character, see List of Saw characters § Dan Erickson.

Dan Erickson

Born|

Daniel Earling Erickson

(1984-01-26) January 26, 1984 (age 41)

Olympia, Washington, U.S.

Alma mater| Western Washington University (BA) NYU Tisch School of the Arts (MFA)
Occupations|

* Television screenwriter
* producer
* showrunner

Years active| 2004-present

Daniel Earling Erickson (born January 26, 1984) is an American television screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. He is best known for creating the psychological thriller television series Severance, which premiered on the Apple TV+ streaming service in February 2022.[1][2][3]

## Life and career

[edit]

Erickson is from Olympia, Washington.[1] His parents are Mark and Lynn Erickson, a lawyer and a teacher, respectively. He is a middle child, with an older brother named Matt and a younger sister named Hayley.[4] Erickson has stated that he is very close with both siblings, and that they inspired characters on Severance.[5]

Erickson attended Western Washington University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in English, and subsequently graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Writing for Television.[6][7]

He wrote for Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show and worked in series development for the now-defunct entertainment company Super Deluxe.[8]

In 2016, Erickson's pilot script for Severance was recognized by the Blood List.[8][9] He later submitted the script as a writing sample to Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Productions, and Stiller produced the project.[10][11] In 2019, Apple TV+ picked up Severance for a straight-to-series order with Endeavor Content serving as co-financer and producer.[12] Season 1 of Severance premiered on February 18, 2022, on Apple's streaming service to acclaim.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Season 2 premiered on January 17, 2025. It also received acclaim, with an initial score of 100% on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 critic reviews.[20]

In September 2022, Erickson was included in the Time 100 Next list, which features "100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership".[21] He and the writers of Severance won twice at the 2023 Writers Guild of America Awards, winning Best New Series and Best Drama Series.[22]

## Filmography

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Writer  | Producer  | Notes

|
|
|
|

2011  | League of Wonder | Yes  | No  | Short film
2016–2018  | Lip Sync Battle Preshow | Yes  | No  |
2022–present  | Severance | Yes  | Yes  | Creator, wrote 7 episodes, executive producer

## Awards and honors

[edit]

### Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominated work  | Category  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2022 | Severance (for "The We We Are") | Best Writing in a Streaming Series  | Won  | [23]

### Primetime Emmy Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominated work  | Category  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2023 | Outstanding Drama Series |  Severance | Nominated  | [24]
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (for “The We We Are”) | Nominated
2025 | Outstanding Drama Series |  Severance | Pending
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (for Cold Harbor) | Pending

### Peabody Award

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2022  | Peabody Awards | Entertainment  |  Severance | Won  | [25]

### Writers Guild of America Award

[edit]

Year  | Nominated work  | Category  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2023 | Best Drama Series |  Severance | Won  | [26]
Best New Series | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Olympia screenwriter Dan Erickson on 'Severance' and its long journey to Apple TV+". The Seattle Times. 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
2. ^ Maas, Jennifer (2022-06-19). "The Insidious, Cryptic World of 'Severance': How Ben Stiller, Adam Scott and More Brought 'Strange Humor' to Apple's Workplace Thriller". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
3. ^ Francisco, Eric (24 February 2022). "'Severance' is the sci-fi thriller every office worker needs — here's why". Inverse. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
4. ^ "DAN ERICKSON – Heroes and Villains". Retrieved 2022-08-22.
5. ^ 2022 HCA TV Awards Full Ceremony: Streaming Platforms - Night 2 of Television's Big Celebration, 14 August 2022, retrieved 2022-08-22
6. ^ "Olympia-Born Screenwriter Nabs Emmy Nod". 12 July 2022.
7. ^ "TISCH ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DAN ERICKSON '10 AND THE 10 YEAR JOURNEY TO CREATING 'SEVERANCE' ON APPLE TV+".
8. ^ a b Piazza, Bianca (2022-03-28). "Dan Erickson Is the Imaginative Creator and Writer of Sci-Fi Series 'Severance' — Let's Explore His Work". Distractify. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
9. ^ Colangelo, B. J. (2022-07-21). "Severance Has Been In The Making For A Very Long Time [Comic-Con]". SlashFilm.com. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
10. ^ "Adam Scott Goes Back to Work". GQ. 2022-02-22. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
11. ^ Lane, Carly (2022-02-18). "'Severance': Ben Stiller and Adam Scott on the Long Road to Making the Apple TV+ Thriller Series". Collider. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
12. ^ Ausiello, Michael (2019-11-08). "Adam Scott 'Workplace Thriller' Severance Snags Apple TV+ Series Order; Ben Stiller to EP and Direct". TVLine. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
13. ^ Travers, Ben (2022-02-16). "'Severance' Review: Ben Stiller Directs a Brilliant Corporate Conspiracy Thriller That's All Too Real". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
14. ^ Tallerico, Brian (17 February 2022). "Adam Scott Leads Brilliantly Original Workplace Drama Severance". RogerEbert. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
15. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (2022-02-16). "Apple TV+'s 'Severance': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
16. ^ "'Severance' Apple TV Plus Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Decider. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
17. ^ Nelson, Samantha (2022-02-18). "Severance Premiere Review - "Good News About Hell" and "Half Loop"". IGN. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
18. ^ Poniewozik, James (2022-02-17). "'Severance' Review: That Makes Two of You". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
19. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (2022-02-25). "When Work Is a Terrifying Dystopia". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
20. ^ Massoto, Erick (January 7, 2025). "'Severance' Season 2 Lands Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score Ahead of Premiere". Collider.
21. ^ "Meet the 2022 TIME100 Next". Time. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
22. ^ "Yahoo.com". 6 March 2023.
23. ^ "#Severance "The We, We Are" writer, Dan Erickson wins the award for Best Writing in a Streaming Series, Drama at the 2nd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards". Hollywood Critics Association Twitter. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
24. ^ "74th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Hollywood Critics Association. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
25. ^ Voyles, Blake (September 19, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners". Retrieved September 19, 2023.
26. ^ Schneider, Michael; Maas, Jennifer (February 15, 2025). "'Shogun,' 'Hacks,' 'Anora,' 'Nickel Boys' Land Top Honors at Writers Guild Awards 2025 (Full Winners List)". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2025.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[Ref.]: Reference(s)