Christopher Keyser
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Christopher Keyser (born 1960) is a producer and writer of prime-time dramas. Keyser resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife and two children.
[edit] Biography
While this guy is certainly not a household name, his name usually is associated with prime-time, deep, down-to-earth drama. More than you might imagine. Born and raised in Long Island, NY, this writer/producer's name is not known, but his projects all have the touch of humanity and quality to them.
Originally, a law school student, Keyser attended Harvard's school of law. He met a woman there named Amy Lippman, and with here, his entire future was reshaped. In the year of 1985, they finally graduated Keyser and Lippman took off to the Big Apple itself, New York City. But not in the pursuit of a legal career. In favor of writing for television. Little did they realize they were not only going to reshape their future... but also the future of television. They formed a partnership and became a writing team. In 1988, they moved to Los Angeles and because of their legal backgrounds in the hallowed and famed Harvard Law, they were signed on to write teleplays for "L.A. Law" and "Equal Justice." They finally had the honor of writing and producing the hit-show "Sisters" and "Eddie Dodd" from 1991-1996.
They established themselves as a real ace team in the TV business. The two hit big pay-dirt with the enormously successful "Party of Five," a prime-time family-oriented soap-opera which was incredibly popular with young teenage girls and young gay men. The show featured the Salingers, a family suddenly orphaned when their parents are killed by a drunken man behind the wheel and the eldest son becomes the head of the family, the eldest daughter wants to write professionally, the youngest daughter is a musical prodigy who sleeps around (all over the house!) and their valiant efforts to keep the family together and the family restaurant business afloat. The show (and the entire family) deals with relationships and friction, romance, school, work, growing-up, life-and-death.
Many have said it's a prime-time soap opera after-school special. In 1996, the show took home the Golden Globe Award for "Best Drama Series." Keyser himself (along with Lipman) were the reapers of a Humanitarias Prize (a mini-glass statuette and $15,000) for the episode "Thanksgiving," where the leads wound up confronting the mysterious drunk driver that was responsible for their parent's deaths. Lacey Chalbert took home some YoungStar Awards. The one and only Neve Campbell (who got her breakout role on the show) has referred to the show as "The most realistic show on television."
Eventually, the show's actors were discovered and big offers came pouring in and eventually the show came to an end. Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt went on to do movies, Chalbert currently juggles film and TV, Matthew Fox went onto other hit TV shows.... And the team of Keyser/Lippman are still cranking out must-see TV programs such as "Significant Others" and "Time of Your Life," a spin-off of "Party of Five" starring Love Hewitt's character Sarah leaving San Francsico in favor of New York and searching for the biological family she never even knew she had. Keyser, who was resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
[edit] Trivia
- Keyser was born on Long Island, New York. He attended Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during which time he met his wife. After graduating in 1985, they relocated to New York City, New York.
- Keyser is not now, nor has he ever been married to his frequent producing/writing partner Amy Lippman. In righting this popular misconception, they have both joked that they are married - just not to each other.
- While in New York City, Keyser and Lippman formed a writing partnership. In 1988, they moved to Los Angeles, California and were signed on to write teleplays for L.A. Law and Equal Justice.
- Between 1991 and 1996, Keyser and Lippman wrote and produced at least one episode of the television show Sisters (TV series)[citation needed] and at least one episode of the television show Eddie Dodd.[citation needed]
- In 1994, the first episode of Party of Five aired. Both Keyser and Lippman are credited as the creators, executive producers, and writers of the prime-time drama. The show lasted six seasons and won them a Golden Globe Award for "Best Drama Series" in its first season.
- Since the end of Party of Five, Keyser and Lippman created the television series Significant Others, and also created a spinoff to Party of Five, Time of Your Life, which was canceled during the first season.
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