Michael Jacobs (producer)

American film producer

This article is about the playwright and producer. For other people, see Mike Jacobs.

Michael Jacobs

Jacobs in 2003

Born|  (1955-06-28) June 28, 1955 (age 69)

Highland Park, New Jersey, U.S.

Occupation(s)| Television creator, writer, producer
Years active| 1982–present

Michael Jacobs (born June 28, 1955) is an American television creator, writer and producer whose work has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, television and film. He is the creator/producer or has written and developed several television series including Boy Meets World, Dinosaurs, Charles in Charge, My Two Dads, The Torkelsons, and Girl Meets World. His television shows have won the People's Choice, Parent's Choice, Environmental Media Awards, and more.

## Early life

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Jacobs was born June 28, 1955, in Highland Park, New Jersey.[1] He attended Highland Park High School. Jacobs grew up in New York City, New York; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Los Angeles, California.[1]

## Career

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Jacobs began his career as a writer and an actor.[1] As an actor, he toured with the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, appeared in a Los Angeles production of Godspell, and made an appearance on the soap-opera Days of Our Lives.[1]

His play, Cheaters, had its premiere in South Florida in 1977, winning the Carbonell Award for "Best New Play." It opened in 1978 at the Biltmore Theatre in New York, starring Doris Roberts, Jack Weston, Lou Jacobi and Rosemary Murphy, when he was twenty-two years old, making him one of the youngest playwrights in Broadway history.[2] His next play, Getting Along Famously was produced off-Broadway in 1984, at the Hudson Guild Theatre. His play, Impressionism opened on Broadway in 2009 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, starring Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen.

He was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, National Board of Review and BAFTA Award for Best Film for producing the 1994 motion picture, Quiz Show, which also won the New York Film Critics Circle Award.[citation needed] He won the People's Choice Award (Best New Comedy) for My Two Dads and was nominated for the Emmy Award (Outstanding Children's Program) for Girl Meets World in 2015 and again in 2016, and once again in 2017, which was also nominated for the Humanitas Prize, the WGA Award, the PGA Award, as well as the Kids' Choice Award and Teen Choice Award.[3]

He wrote and directed Maybe I Do,[4] starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, William H. Macy, Emma Roberts, and Luke Bracey.[5] It opened in theaters on January 27, 2023, and will begin streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, YouTube and other premium channels on Valentine's Day.

### Television

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His production company, Michael Jacobs Productions, has been in long-term development partnerships with NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Columbia TriStar Television, and Buena Vista Television[citation needed]. His television shows have appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Disney Channel and The WB television networks[citation needed].

#### Boy Meets World

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In 2023, Boy Meets World celebrated its 30th anniversary on television, having been broadcast continuously since 1993 on ABC, Disney Channel, and currently on TeenNick and MTV2. Michael and the cast were reunited in June 2013, as the featured panel at the second annual ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas. He was quoted there as saying, "I don't see anything on television right now that is speaking to the audience I have always spoken to and care very much about." Girl Meets World premiered on June 27, 2014, running for three seasons to substantial success[6] before Disney Channel ended the show, allegedly out of concerns the show's characters were aging out of the channel's target audience.[7]

In 2018, all episodes of Boy Meets World along with Dinosaurs began their run on the streaming service, Hulu.[8] Both Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World have since moved to Disney Plus.[9]

Michael is also the writer or co-writer of the theme songs for Charles in Charge, My Two Dads, The Torkelsons and Lost at Home[citation needed]. He co-wrote Always You, the theme for Maybe I Do with Ruth B. It was released as a single along with the opening of the movie on January 27[citation needed].

## Film

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* Maybe I Do (director) (2023)
* As Seen Through These Eyes (Documentary) (2007)
* Quiz Show (1994)

## Television

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* Girl Meets World (Disney Channel; 2014–2017)
* Lost at Home (ABC; 2003)
* Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane (WB; 1999–2000)
* You Wish (ABC; 1997–1998)
* Maybe This Time (ABC; 1995–1996)
* Misery Loves Company (FOX; 1995–1996)
* Boy Meets World (ABC; 1993–2000)
* Where I Live (ABC; 1993–1994)
* Dinosaurs (ABC; 1991–1994)
* The Torkelsons/Almost Home (NBC; 1991–1993)
* Singer & Sons (NBC; 1990)
* My Two Dads (NBC; 1987–1990)
* Together We Stand (CBS; 1986-1987)
* Charles in Charge (CBS; 1984–1985; Syndicated; 1987–1990)
* No Soap, Radio (ABC; 1982)

## Theatre

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* Cheaters (Biltmore Theatre) 1978
* Getting Along Famously (Hudson Guild Theatre) 1984
* Impressionism (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) 2009

## Awards and nominations

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Year  | Title  | Award  | Won/Nominated

|
|
|

1988  | My Two Dads | People's Choice Awards (Favorite New TV Comedy Program)  | Won[10]
1991  | Dinosaurs | TCA Award (Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming)  | Nominated[11]
1992  | Dinosaurs | Kid's Choice Award (Favorite TV Show)  | Won[11]
Environmental Media Award (TV Comedy)  | Won[11]
1993  | Dinosaurs | Environmental Media Award (TV Comedy)  | Won[11]
1994  | Quiz Show | Academy Award for Best Picture | Nominated[12]
Golden Globe Award (Best Motion Picture)  | Nominated[12]
BAFTA Award for Best Film | Nominated[12]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards (Best Film)  | Won[12]
1995  | Dinosaurs | Environmental Media Award (TV Comedy)  | Won[11]
1999  | Boy Meets World | Kid's Choice Award (Favorite TV Show)  | Nominated[13]
2000  | Boy Meets World | Kid's Choice Award (Favorite TV Show)  | Nominated[13]
2014  | Girl Meets World | Teen Choice Award (Choice Summer TV Show)  | Nominated[14]
WGA Award (Children's Script)  | Nominated[14]
2015  | Girl Meets World | Emmy Award (Outstanding Children's Program)  | Nominated[14]
WGA Award (Children's Script)  | Nominated[14]
2016  | Girl Meets World | Emmy Award (Outstanding Children's Program)  | Nominated[14]
Kid's Choice Award (Favorite TV Show)  | Nominated[14]
Teen Choice Award (Choice TV: Summer Show)  | Nominated[14]
WGA Award (Children's Script)  | Nominated[14]
2017  | Girl Meets World | Emmy Award (Outstanding Children's Program)  | Nominated[14]
Humanitas Prize | Nominated[14]
Kid's Choice Award | Nominated[14]
PGA Award (Season 2, Season 3)  | Nominated[14]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d "Inside the Playbill: Cheaters - Jan 1978 at Biltmore Theatre". Playbill Vault. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
2. ^ "Cheaters". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
3. ^ "Girl Meets World - Awards & Nominations". emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
4. ^ Thomas, Carly (2022-12-21). "Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey Question the Value of Marriage in 'Maybe I Do' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
5. ^ Jacobs, Michael (2023-01-27), Maybe I Do (Comedy, Romance), Endeavor Content, Vincent Newman Entertainment, retrieved 2022-12-24
6. ^ "Sabrina Carpenter goes to high school in "Girl Meets World" new season". mcall.com. The Morning Call. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
7. ^ Noelle Devoe (January 6, 2017). "Heartbroken Girl Meets World Fans Are Begging Netflix to Save the Show". Seventeen. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
8. ^ Spangler, Todd (2017-09-29). "Hulu Lands 'Home Improvement,' 'Boy Meets World,' 'Dinosaurs' Exclusive Streaming Rights". Variety. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
9. ^ Foutch, Haleigh (2019-10-14). "Every Movie and TV Show Confirmed to Stream on Disney+ So Far". Collider. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
10. ^ "My Two Dads wins Favorite New TV Comedy". peopleschoice.com. One Three Digital, LLC. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
11. ^ a b c d e "Dinosaurs - Awards - IMDb". imdb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
12. ^ a b c d "Quiz Show - Awards - IMDb". imdb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
13. ^ a b "Boy Meets World - Awards - IMDb". imdb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Girl Meets World - Awards - IMDb". imdb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 February 2017.

## External links

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* Michael Jacobs at IMDb
* Michael Jacobs at the Internet Broadway Database

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* Emmy Awards