Fontana, Tom 1951–

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Fontana, Tom 1951–

PERSONAL

Full name, Thomas Michael Fontana; born September 12, 1951, in Buffalo, NY; son of Charles Louis (in sales) and Marie Angelica (a hospital unit coordinator; maiden name, Internicola) Fontana; married Sagan Lewis (an actress), December 18, 1982 (marriage ended). Education: State University College at Buffalo, B.A., speech and theatre arts, 1973. Religion: Roman Catholic.

Addresses: Agent—United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Office—Levinson/Fontana Company, 185 Broome St., New York, NY 10002.

Career: Writer, producer, creative consultant, and television series creator. Writers Theatre, New York City, playwright in residence, 1975–90; Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, playwright in residence, 1978–80; Levinson/Fontana Company (production company), partner.

Member: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Dramatists Guild, Writers Guild of America West, Authors League of America, American Writers Theatre Foundation (member of the board of directors, 1975–90.)

Awards, Honors: Peabody Award, 1983; Emmy Awards, outstanding writing for a drama series, 1984, 1986, Emmy Award nominations (with others), outstanding writing for a drama series, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, Emmy Award nominations (with others), outstanding drama series, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, Humanitas Prize (with John Masius), 60 minute category, Los Angeles Human Family Institute, 1985, Writers Guild of America Award, Golden Award, New York International Film and Television Festival, People's Choice Award (with John Tinker and John Masius), outstanding writing—drama series, 1987, all for St. Elsewhere; Christopher Award, National Association of Catholic Broadcasters, 1986; Maggie Award, Planned Parenthood Association, 1986; Distinguished Alumnus Award, State University at Buffalo, 1987; Hall of Fame, Canisius High School, 1991; Peabody Awards, 1993, 1996, and 1998, Emmy Award, outstanding writing for a drama series, 1993, Television Awards, (with Frank Pugliese, Bonnie Mark, and Julie Martin), episodic drama, Writers Guild of America, 1994, 1996, Founders Award, Viewers for Quality Television, 1995, Best Drama Series, Viewers for Quality Television, 1996, Television Critics Association Awards, program of the year, 1996, best drama series, 1996, 1997, all for Homicide: Life on the Street; CableACE Award, best drama series, 1998, Television Award nomination (with Bradford Winters), best episodic drama, Writers Guild of America Award, 2000, for Oz; honorary doctorate of letters, State University College at Buffalo, 1998; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding writing for a miniseries or a movie, 2000, for Homicide: The Movie; Golden Satellite Award, best television series—drama, International Press Academy, 2000, for An American Tragedy; Evelyn F. Burkey Award, Writers Guild of America (East), 2001; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy program, 2002, for America: A Tribute to Heroes; Special Edgar Award, Edgar Allan Poe Awards, Mystery Writers of America, 2005, for Homicide: Life on the Streets, Oz, The Jury, and others.

CREDITS

Television Work; Series:

Producer, St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1982–88.

Executive producer and creator, Tattinger's (also known as Nick & Hillary), NBC, 1988–89.

Executive producer and creator, Home Fires, NBC, 1991–92.

Executive producer, Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC, 1993–99.

Executive producer, Philly Heat, 1994.

Executive producer and creator, Oz, HBO, 1997–2003.

Creative consultant, The Hoop Life, Showtime, 1999–2000.

Executive producer and series creator, The Beat, UPN, 2000.

Executive producer and creator, The Jury, Fox, 2004–2005.

Producer and executive producer, The Bedford Diaries, The WB, 2006.

Television Work; Miniseries:

Executive producer, American Tragedy, 2000.

Television Work; Movies:

Executive producer, The Prosecutors, 1996.

Executive producer, Firehouse, 1997.

Executive producer, Homicide: The Movie, NBC, 2000.

Producer, The Path to War, 2000.

Executive producer, Shot in the Heart, HBO, 2001.

Executive producer, Judas, ABC, 2004.

Executive producer, Strip Search, HBO, 2004.

Executive producer, Anytown, USA, Film Movement, 2005.

Television Executive Producer; Specials:

Barry Levinson on the Future in the 20th Century: Yesterday's Tomorrows (also known as The 20th Century: Yesterday's Tomorrows), 1999.

Television Executive Producer; Pilots:

New Year, ABC, 1993.

Philly Heat, ABC, 1995.

The Prosecutors (movie), NBC, 1996.

The Family Brood, CBS, 1998.

Good Guys, Bad Guys, NBC, 2000.

Utopia, Lifetime, 2001.

Hudson's Law, CBS, 2001.

Bradford, CBS, 2001.

Baseball Wives, HBO, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Himself, Anatomy of a "Homicide: Life on the Street" (documentary), PBS, 1998.

The 70s: The Decade That Changed Television, ABC, 2000.

Les Miserable (documentary), The Learning Channel, 2000.

Himself, Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner, Comedy Central, 2001.

Himself, TV's Most Censored Moments, Trio and USA Network, 2002.

Himself, Brilliant But Cancelled: Pilot Season, Trio, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

The Museum of Television and Radio: Influences, Bravo, 2000.

Film Work:

Executive producer, The Press Secretary, 2001.

Film Appearances:

Himself, Homicide: Life at the Start (documentary short), A&E Home Video, 2003.

WRITINGS

Television Episodes:

St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1982–88.

Tattinger's, NBC, 1988–89.

Nick and Hillary, NBC, 1989.

Home Fires, NBC, 1991–92.

Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC, 1993–99.

Philly Heat, 1994.

Under Fire, 1995–96.

Oz, HBO, 1997–2003.

"The Beat Goes On," The Beat, UPN, 2000.

"Bangers," The Jury, Fox, 2004–2005.

The Bedford Diaries, The WB, 2006.

Television Stories; Episodic:

(With John Tinker and Bruce Paltrow) "Madonna and Child Reunion," Home Fires, NBC, 1992.

(With John Tinker and Bruce Paltrow) "Sibling Rivalry," Home Fires, NBC, 1992.

(With Bradford Winters) "U.S. Male," Oz, HBO, 1999.

(With James Yoshimura) "Lamentation on the Reservation," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "The Boxer," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "Too Jung to Die," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "Last Rites," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "Three Boys and a Gun," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "The Honeymoon Suite," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "Mail Order Mystery," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

(With James Yoshimura) "Memories," The Jury, Fox, 2004.

Also wrote (with Channing Gibson) "Tour of Doody," Tattinger's (also known as Nick & Hillary), NBC; (with John Tinker) "El Sid," Tattinger's (also known as Nick & Hillary), NBC; numerous stories for Homicide: Life on the Streets (also known as H: LOTS and Homicide), NBC; numerous stories for St. Elsewhere, NBC.

Television Movies:

Firehouse, 1997.

Homicide: The Movie, NBC, 2000.

Judas, ABC, 2004.

Strip Search, HBO, 2004.

Television Specials:

The Fourth Wiseman, ABC, 1985.

America: A Tribute to Heroes, 2001.

Television Pilots:

Home Fires, NBC, 1992.

New Year, ABC, 1993.

Philly Heat, ABC, 1995.

The Prosecutors (movie), NBC, 1996.

The Family Brood, CBS, 1998.

Good Guys, Bad Guys, NBC, 2000.

Hudson's Law, CBS, 2001.

(And story, with James Yoshimura) The Jury, Fox, 2004.

The Bedford Diaries, The WB, 2006.

Screenplays:

First Thing Monday, 2000.

Stage Plays:

Johnny Appleseed: A Noh Play (one-act play), Studio Arena, Buffalo, NY, 1970.

This Is on Me: Dorothy Parker (two-act adaptation), American Contemporary Theatre, Buffalo, NY, 1971, then Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 1979.

An Awfully Big Adventure: An Entertainment (two-act play), Writers Theatre, New York City, 1975.

One/Potato/More, Direct Theatre, New York City, 1975.

Nonsense!, Writers Theatre, 1977.

The Underlings (two-act play), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, 1978, then Writers Theatre, 1979, later Williamstown Theatre Festival, 1980, then Eisenhower College, Elmira, NY, 1981, later Studio Arena, Buffalo, NY, 1982, then Thomas More College, Crestview Hills, KY, 1983, later Friends Theatre Company, New York City, 1984.

The Overcoat; or Clothes Make the Man (two-act adaptation from a short story by Nikolay Gogol), Williamstown Theatre Festival, 1978, then Writers Theatre, 1981.

Old Fashioned, Chelsea Theatre Center, New York City, 1979, then Linwood Summer Theatre, Linwood, NY, 1980, later Colonnades Theatre Lab, New York City, 1981.

The Spectre Bridegroom, Williamstown Theatre Festival, 1981.

Movin' Mountains (two-act play), McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, 1981, then Writers Theatre, 1982.

Mime (one-act play), One Act Theatre, San Francisco, CA, l982, then One Act Theatre, Los Angeles, 1983.

Imaginary Lovers (one-act play), American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, 1982, then One Act Theatre, Los Angeles, 1983, later Writers Theatre, 1984.