Jerry Offsay

Last updated
Jerry Offsay
BornDecember 1953
Bronx, New York
Alma materJ.D., Columbia Law School
Occupation(s)Motion picture & television executive, executive producer, and expert witness
Known forPresident of Programming for Showtime Networks
Notable workThe Outer Limits, Soul Food, Queer As Folk, The L Word, Stargate
SpousePam Offsay
Children4

Jerry Offsay is an American motion picture & television executive and executive producer. He served as President of Programming for Showtime Networks from 1994-2003.

Contents

Early life and education

Offsay grew up in Parkchester, a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. His father worked at a small display-design company, where his mother was the company bookkeeper. Offsay was the third of four children. He attended the Bronx High School of Science, State University of New York at Binghamton, and later Columbia Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 1977. [1]

Career

After graduating from law school, Offsay began his career at the Los Angeles office of Loeb & Loeb. He worked in the firm’s entertainment law practice, finding his specialty in the financing and production of independent films. He was made partner at age 28. [2]

Looking for a change from the law, Offsay joined RKO Pictures as President of Production. At RKO, Offsay served as executive producer on several films including Hamburger Hill and Eight Men Out , and co–produced Narrow Margin . In 1990 Offsay became Executive Vice President at ABC Productions, ABC’s newly launched programming company. During his four years at ABC, Offsay supervised the production of the ABCP's programming, including series, miniseries, and movies such as The Commish , and Dominick Dunne's An Inconvenient Woman , and Neil Simon's Broadway Bound . [3]

In January 1994 Offsay began his new role as President of Programming at Showtime Networks. He saw an opportunity to bring theater-quality movies to premium television—just as HBO was doing, who at the time released new films monthly. Offsay embarked on a journey to put on an original movie every week. [1] During Offsay's tenure, Showtime more than tripled its original programming, producing and/or commissioning over 300 hundred original films and 20 television series. Over 70 movies were nominated for Emmys; one was nominated for an Oscar. Notable television series Offsay put on the air include Stargate , The Outer Limits , Soul Food, Queer As Folk, The L Word , and Penn and Teller’s Bullshit!, all of which ran five seasons or longer.

In 2001 Offsay won the Governors Award from the Television Academy for Showtime's diversity programming. That year he was also honored at the ACLU's annual Bill of Rights Awards for introducing topics and issues to the mainstream through Showtime's programming. [4] In 2002 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jewish Image Awards in Film and Television. [5] That same year the Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up awarded the Premier Award to Offsay for Showtime's commitment to providing access to quality work that might otherwise go unseen. [6] He was awarded the Executive of the Year Award by the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers, and Directors in 2003. [7] During Offsay's tenure at Showtime, the network was awarded six Humanitas Prizes and four Peabody Awards and won eight Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Children's Special category in seven consecutive years.

In 2003 Offsay left Showtime to start Parkchester Pictures, his own production company where he produces films and television. Offsay, drawing on his legal training and career in entertainment, has also served as an expert witness on several industry cases, such as Sobini Films v. Clear Skies Nevada. [8]

Personal life

Offsay and his wife, Pam, supported the development of Offsay Steinhauser Village, a 15-unit L.A. Family Housing affordable housing complex in the Valley Glen neighborhood of Los Angeles. [9] For over 20 years they hosted—originally at Offsay's home but soon expanded to Paramount Studios—an annual "Dessert Party" which raised funds for L.A. Family Housing’s Valley Shelter for the Homeless. [10]

Offsay lives and works in Los Angeles. Together he and Pam have four children and two grandchildren.

Award-Winning Programming

YearTitleAwardInvolvement
1995 Outer Limits CableACE Award for Dramatic SeriesNetwork Programming President
1997 Hiroshima Humanitas Award, PBS/Cable — with John Hopkins and Toshiro IshidoNetwork Programming President
1998 Hiroshima Gemini Award for Best Dramatic TV Movie or Mini-SeriesNetwork Programming President
1998 The Baby Dance Peabody Award — with Jane AndersonNetwork Programming President
1998In His Father's Shoes Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
1999 Strange Justice Peabody Award — with Ernest DickersonNetwork Programming President
1999 The Island on Bird Street Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2000 Thanks of a Grateful Nation Humanitas Award, PBS/Cable — with John Sacret YoungNetwork Programming President
2000 Summer's End Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2001 Varian's War Jewish Image Award for Cable Television Film Award [11] Network Programming President
2001 Things Behind the Sun Peabody Award — with Allison AndersNetwork Programming President
2001 Run the Wild Fields Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2001A Storm in Summer Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2002 Resurrection Blvd. ALMA Award for Outstanding Television SeriesNetwork Programming President
2002 My Louisiana Sky Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2003 My Louisiana Sky Humanitas Award, Children's Live Action — with Anna SandorNetwork Programming President
2003 Bang Bang You're Dead Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2003 Soul Food NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series Network Programming President
2004 Soul Food NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series Network Programming President
2004 Our America Humanitas Award, 90 Minutes — with Gordon RayfieldNetwork Programming President
2004 The Incredible Mrs. Ritche Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special Network Programming President
2005 Edge of America Peabody Award — with Tim DalyNetwork Programming President
2005 Crown Heights Humanitas Award, Children's Live Action — with Toni Ann Johnson and Michael D'AntonioNetwork Programming President
2006 The L Word GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series Network Programming President
2007 Edge of America Humanitas Award, Children's Live Action — with Willy HoltzmanNetwork Programming President
2008 As Seen Through These Eyes Miami Jewish Film Festival, Winner of Best DocumentaryExecutive Producer
2008 As Seen Through These Eyes Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, Winner of Best DocumentaryExecutive Producer

Filmography as Producer / Executive Producer

YearTitleRole
1987 Hot Pursuit Executive Producer
1987 Hamburger Hill Executive Producer
1988 Eight Men Out Executive Producer
1990 False Identity Executive Producer
1990 Women and Men: Stories of Seduction Executive Producer
1990 The Shrimp on the Barbie Executive Producer
1990 Narrow Margin Co-Producer
1996 Diabolique Executive Producer
2003 Baadasssss! Executive Producer
2004 The Best Thief in the World Executive Producer
2004 Speak Executive Producer
2004 Bereft Executive Producer
2005 Fathers and Sons Executive Producer
2005 Sexual Life Executive Producer
2006 Keeping Up with the Steins Executive Consultant
2008The Week ReducedExecutive Producer
2008As Seen Through These EyesExecutive Producer
2008Commuter ConfidentialExecutive Producer
2010Iris ExpandingExecutive Producer
2014 Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks Executive Producer
2017ShotExecutive Producer
2020ReconExecutive Producer

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References

  1. 1 2 Schleier, Curt (1998-05-29). "Yiddishkeit, Bronx sensibilities keep Showtime executive sane". J. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  2. ↑ "Jerry Offsay". www.cablecenter.org. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  3. ↑ Variety Staff (1993-12-21). "Showtime taps Offsay programming prexy". Variety. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  4. ↑ "Jerry Offsay - Filmbug". www.filmbug.com. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  5. ↑ "Showtime's Jerry Offsay received the Lifetime Achievement Award from..." Getty Images (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  6. ↑ "Melissa Etheridge and Jerry Offsay to be honored by POWER UP (6364)". www.advocate.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  7. ↑ "The Journal of The Caucus For Television Producers, Writers & Directors" (PDF). The Caucus Journal (Spring 2003): 25. 2003.
  8. ↑ "Sobini Films, Inc. v. Clear Skies Nev., LLC, B267431 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  9. ↑ Rhone, Nedra (2001-02-05). "Ground Broken for Affordable Homes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  10. ↑ Journal, Jewish (2001-05-31). "The Circuit". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  11. ↑ Tugend, Tom (2001-11-04). "Jewish film and TV honors given". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
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