Michael Jacobs (producer)


Michael Jacobs 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 Emmy, People's Choice, Parent's Choice, Environmental Media Awards, and more.

Early life

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

Career

Jacobs began his career as a writer and an actor. 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.
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. 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. He won the People's Choice Award for My Two Dads and was nominated for the Emmy Award 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.
In 2007, he produced the documentary, As Seen Through These Eyes, about artists who were captured during the Holocaust and at risk of their lives created visual records so the world would know what happened. The film is narrated by Maya Angelou, and has been named "Best Film" or "Best Documentary" at multiple film festivals nationally and internationally.

Television

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

Boy Meets World

In 2018, Boy Meets World celebrated its 25th 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 and was picked up for its second season on August 6, 2014 as the number one television show for kids.
In 2018, all episodes of Boy Meets World along with Dinosaurs began their run on the streaming service, Hulu. Both Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World are about to begin their runs on Disney Plus.
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.

Film

YearTitleAwardWon/Nominated
1988My Two DadsPeople's Choice Awards Won
1991Dinosaurs TCA Award Nominated
1992DinosaursKid's Choice Award Won
1992DinosaursEnvironmental Media Award Won
1993DinosaursEnvironmental Media Award Won
1994Quiz ShowAcademy Award for Best PictureNominated
1994Quiz ShowGolden Globe Award Nominated
1994Quiz ShowBAFTA Award for Best FilmNominated
1994Quiz ShowNew York Film Critics Circle Awards Won
1995DinosaursEnvironmental Media Award Won
1999Boy Meets WorldKid's Choice Award Nominated
2000Boy Meets WorldKid's Choice Award Nominated
2014Girl Meets WorldTeen Choice Award Nominated
2014Girl Meets WorldWGA Award Nominated
2015Girl Meets WorldEmmy Award Nominated
2015Girl Meets WorldWGA Award Nominated
2016Girl Meets WorldEmmy Award Nominated
2016Girl Meets WorldKid's Choice Award Nominated
2016Girl Meets WorldTeen Choice Award Nominated
2016Girl Meets WorldWGA Award Nominated
2017Girl Meets WorldEmmy Award Nominated
2017Girl Meets WorldHumanitas PrizeNominated
2017Girl Meets WorldKid's Choice AwardNominated
2017Girl Meets WorldPGA Award Nominated