Justin Spitzer

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Justin Spitzer
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, producer
Years active2004–present
Spouse
(m. 2007)
Children2

Justin Spitzer is an American television and film writer, producer, and showrunner. He is best known for creating the sitcoms Superstore, American Auto, and St. Denis Medical. [1] [2] [3] His other credits include Scrubs, Courting Alex , and The Office . [3]

Contents

Career

Spitzer was an assistant on the sitcom Grounded for Life and on fourteen episodes of the American adaptation of Queer as Folk. [4] [5] From 2008 to 2013, he was a writer and producer for the American adaptation of The Office . [6] [1] In 2013 he wrote a pilot based on The Money Pit that was put into development by NBC but ultimately never aired. [7] [8]

He created the workplace sitcom Superstore , starring America Ferrera and Ben Feldman, which had a midseason premiere on NBC in 2015. [9] He served as showrunner for three seasons before stepping down in 2019 while signing a multi-year deal with NBC and Universal Television. [10] The series continued to run for three more seasons after Spitzer's departure. [11]

In 2020, NBC ordered a pilot for Spitzer's comedy American Auto . [12] The series premiered in 2021 and ran for two seasons before being canceled in 2023. [13] In August 2021, Spitzer had signed a new four-year overall deal with Universal Television. [14]

Personal life

On November 24, 2007, he married producer and writer Jenna Bans. They have two children named Lucy and Phoebe. [15]

Credits

Producing

Television
YearTitleNotes
2005–2013 The Office co-executive producer
2014 Mulaney
2015–2021 Superstore executive producer, also creator
2021–2023 American Auto
2024 St. Denis Medical
Television Movie
YearTitleNotes
2013Holding Patternsexecutive producer

Writing

Films
YearTitleNotes
2006What Are the Odds?short film
Television
ShowEpisode TitleSeasonAir DateNotes
Scrubs "My Butterfly"3March 16, 2004
Committed "The Snap Out of it Episode"1February 1, 2005
Courting Alex "Birthday"March 6, 2006
The Office "Back from Vacation"3January 4, 2007
"Product Recall"April 26, 2007co-written with Brent Forrester
"Did I Stutter?"4May 1, 2008
"Moroccan Christmas"5December 11, 2008
"Michael Scott Paper Company"April 9, 2009
"Shareholder Meeting"6November 19, 2009
"Body Language"April 29, 2010
"Costume Contest"7October 28, 2010
"Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager"May 12, 2011
"Garden Party"8October 13, 2011
"Angry Andy"April 19, 2012
The Money Pit"Pilot"1unaired
Mulaney "Patriot Acts"1November 23, 2014
Superstore "Pilot"1November 30, 2015
"Shots and Salsa"November 30, 2015
"Tornado"2May 4, 2017
"Grand Re-Opening"3September 28, 2017
"Town Hall"May 3, 2018Story credit
"Employee Appreciation Day"4May 16, 2019
"All Sales Final"6March 25, 2021Story credit
American Auto "Pilot"1December 13, 2021
"White Van"December 13, 2021
"Profile"March 8, 2022co-written with Eric Ledgin
"Crisis"2January 24, 2023
St. Denis Medical "Welcome to St. Denis"1November 12, 2024
"People Just Say Stuff Online"February 4, 2025
Television Movie
YearTitleNotes
2013Holding Patternsalso credited as creator

Directing

ShowEpisode titleSeasonAir dateNotes
Superstore "Employee App"5February 20, 2020

Nominations

Television
YearAssociationCategoryWorkResultCredited AsRef.
2009Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Comedy SeriesThe OfficeNominatedProducer [16]
2010Nominated
2011NominatedSupervising Producer
2022 Writers Guild of America Award Episodic Comedy SuperstoreNominatedTeleplay [17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Justin Spitzer". NBC Universal Media Village. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  2. McLevy, Alex (April 19, 2019). "Showrunner Justin Spitzer quits his Superstore". News. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Justin Spitzer". IMDb. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  4. Ferreira, Johanna (January 15, 2016). "Get to Know the Man Behind the Best Golden Globes Joke". vivala.com. Vivala. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  5. "(article title missing)". Newsweek, Volume 149, Issues 14–26. 2007. p. 64. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  6. Dellecese, Dave (November 1, 2007). "A peek at the Utica Branch of NBC's "The Office"". WKTV . Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (October 4, 2013). "NBC Developing Comedy Based On Movie 'The Money Pit' With Justin Spitzer, Amblin". Deadline. Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  8. Blacker, Ben (March 8, 2018). "Episode 23 – The Money Pit written by Justin Spitzer". maximumfun.org. Dead Pilots Society. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (October 19, 2015). "NBC Trims Orders For Midseason Comedies 'Superstore' & 'Hot & Bothered'". Deadline. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  10. Petski, Denise (April 19, 2019). "'Superstore' Creator Justin Spitzer Steps Down As Showrunner; He, Gabe Miller & Jonathan Green Re-Up Overall Deals With Uni TV". Deadline. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  11. Framke, Caroline (March 26, 2021). "RIP 'Superstore,' a Sharp Workplace Comedy That Was Unafraid to Change With the Times". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  12. Andreeva, Nellie (January 23, 2020). "Jim Jefferies-Suzanne Martin Comedy, Justin Spitzer's 'American Auto' Get NBC Pilot Orders". Deadline. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  13. Porter, Rick (June 16, 2023). "NBC Cancels 'American Auto' After Two Seasons". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  14. Andreeva, Nellie (August 18, 2021). "Justin Spitzer Re-Ups Overall Deal With Universal Television". Deadline. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  15. Spitzer, Justin (March 3, 2016). "My wife @jennabans show @thefamily airs tonight ABC 9:00 EST. It's just like #Superstore but with abducted children and no store. Pls watch!". twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  16. "Justin Spitzer". emmys.com. Television Academy. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  17. Hipes, Patrick (January 13, 2022). "WGA Awards TV Nominations: 'Yellowjackets', 'Hacks', 'Loki', 'Only Murders In The Building' Join Usual Suspects On List". Deadline . Retrieved August 1, 2025.