Maryann Ridini Spencer is screenwriter, journalist, TV Host, TV & Film producer/director, author, and member of both the Writers Guild of America, West and the Producers Guild of America. Spencer graduated with a degree in communications from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, where she served as co-program director of the college station and worked as a teaching apprentice in the university's TV Production studios.
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(December 2020) |
Spencer began her career in the performing arts at 12, working in her local community theatre in Syosset, New York. At the age of 16 she secured a position as an acting apprentice with The Hampton Playhouse in Hampton, New Hampshire. She also performed and worked as an acting apprentice at The New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire. She later won special commendations for her acting, placing in the top level of The New York City and Staten Island Dramatic Invitationals.
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(December 2020) |
Spencer worked as Senior Vice President of Publicity, Advertising & Promotions at Stephen J. Cannell Productions, supervising publicity and marketing initiatives for The Cannell Studios' facilities in Los Angeles and Vancouver. While at the studio she worked on campaigns for such series as: "Hunter," "Wiseguy", "21 Jump Street," and "Sonny Spoon." Before that, Maryann worked as Director of Publicity for Miss Universe, Inc., supervising the national and international publicity for the "Miss Universe", "Miss USA" and "Miss Teen USA" Pageants. Working at a number of high-profile PR agencies, she also supervised campaigns for such series as: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (Paramount), "American Gladiators" (Samuel Goldwyn Company) "Wheel of Fortune" (Merv Griffin Enterprises) and many others.
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(December 2020) |
In 1990 Spencer founded Ridini Entertainment Corporation (REC), a public relations, marketing, website/blog design and TV & Film Production company. REC handled public relations and marketing campaigns for top brands including The United States Olympic Committee, NBC/Universal, E! Entertainment Television and Concorde-New Horizons, Corp. (New Concorde).
Under REC's banner, Spencer has served in various producer capacities on a number of television and film projects for the Showtime Networks, USA Networks, SyFy Channel, Movie Channel, and foreign theatrical. In 2011, Spencer co-wrote and produced "The Lost Valentine" starring Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt. [1] The project was a collaborative effort between Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions in association with Paulist Productions, Atchity Entertainment International and Ridini Entertainment Corporation. Spencer originally optioned the novel, "The Last Valentine" from novelist James Michael Pratt. The film, which aired on January 30, 2011, on CBS-TV, received critical acclaim and was Hallmark Hall of Fame's most highly rated movie in four years, winning the night for CBS [2] with over 14.6 million viewers tuning in. [3]
Spencer worked as a freelance journalist throughout her career, writing for publications such as Palm Springs Life, Desert Magazine, and Totally Local VC, among others. From 2010 to 2018, she had a weekly print and video column with the Ventura County Star titled "Simply Delicious.". [4] She also hosts and produces the cooking/lifestyle TV series "Simply Delicious Living with Maryann [5] " seen on PBS-TV in Southern California, The Roku Channel, First Run TV Syndication and ifood.tv.
Spencer published the cookbook "Simply Delicious Living with Maryann - Entrees" via Santa Rosa Press, a publishing company operated alongside Ridini Entertainment, in 2013. Her first novel "Lady in the Window" received the 2017 Best Book Award for Fiction: Romance, as well as the 2018 American Fiction Award for Visionary Fiction. [6] Her sequel novel, "The Paradise Table: a Kate Grace Mystery," was published by Santa Rosa Press on October 22, 2019. The third book in the Kate Grace Mysteries, "Secrets of Grace Manor," placed as a finalist in the category Fiction: Inspirational at the 2021 Best Book Awards. [7]
Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist, occasional actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment and the Cannell Studios.
The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama superhero television series that aired on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 18, 1981, and ran until February 2, 1983. The series features William Katt as teacher Ralph Hinkley, Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell, and Connie Sellecca as lawyer Pam Davidson. The lead character's surname was changed from "Hinkley" to "Hanley" for the latter part of the first season, immediately after President Ronald Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. The character's name was reverted to "Hinkley" after a few months had passed.
The Carsey-Werner Company is an independent production company founded in 1981 by former ABC writer/producer duo Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner. Caryn Mandabach was made a partner in the firm in 2001, but left in 2004 to embark on her own production deal.
Nancy O'Dell is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news show Entertainment Tonight from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019.
Lara Christine Von Seelen is an American television presenter. She is best known for being the co-anchor for ABC's Good Morning America. She is also a correspondent for Nightline and ABC News. She was the host of the syndicated entertainment newsmagazine The Insider from 2004 to 2011 and was a regular contributor to CBS's The Early Show. She was the national correspondent for Good Morning America and spent several years as a lifestyle reporter for WABC-TV. She hosted Antiques Roadshow on PBS for the 2004 and 2005 seasons and Antiques Roadshow FYI, a spin-off of Antiques Roadshow, during 2005. She hosts the show Flea Market Flip on both HGTV and the Great American Country channel. In April 2018, she announced she would be only appearing on GMA three days a week to focus on her television producing.
Shandi Ren Finnessey is an American actress, model, TV host and beauty pageant titleholder. She is best known for winning the Miss USA title, as Miss Missouri USA. She previously held the title of Miss Missouri 2002 and competed in Miss America, where she won a preliminary award. She placed as first runner-up at the Miss Universe 2004 competition.
Viper is an American action-adventure television series about a special United States task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California, that is perpetually under siege from one crime wave after another. The weapon used by this task force is an urban assault vehicle that masquerades as a Dodge Viper RT/10 roadster and coupe. The series takes place in "the near future". The primary brand of vehicles driven in the show were Chrysler or subsidiary companies. The series ran on NBC for one season in 1994 before being revived two years later for three more seasons of first-run syndication. Reruns of the series have appeared on Sci-Fi Channel and USA Network.
Carol Raye was a British-born actress of film, television, radio, theatre and revue, comedian, singer, dancer, and radio and television creator, producer and director, she worked in her native England as well as internationally in Kenya and then Australia, where she was one of the first female television executives at a time when the industry was dominated by male counterparts.
Christine Elise McCarthy, professionally known as Christine Elise, is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Emily Valentine in Beverly Hills, 90210 and BH90210 and Kyle in the Child's Play franchise, first appearing in Child's Play 2 (1990) and reprising the role in Cult of Chucky (2017) and the Syfy series Chucky (2021–present).
Leslie Ann Esdaile Banks was an American writer under the pen names of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various genres, including African-American literature, romance, women's fiction, crime suspense, dark fantasy/horror and non-fiction.
Jennifer Murphy is an American YouTube personality and former beauty pageant contestant.
A film still is a photograph, taken on or off the set of a movie or television program during production. These photographs are also taken in formal studio settings and venues of opportunity such as film stars' homes, film debut events, and commercial settings. The photos were taken by studio photographers for promotional purposes. Such stills consisted of posed portraits, used for public display or free fan handouts, which are sometimes autographed. They can also consist of posed or candid images taken on the set during production, and may include stars, crew members or directors at work.
Abigail Leigh Spencer is an American actress. She began her career playing Rebecca Tyree on the ABC daytime television soap opera All My Children (1999–2001) before going on to star in the Lifetime crime drama series, Angela's Eyes (2006). She also had recurring roles on Mad Men (2009), Hawthorne (2009–2011), Suits (2011–2019), and Grey's Anatomy (2017–2022). From 2013 to 2016, Spencer starred as Amantha Holden in the SundanceTV drama series Rectify, for which she received a nomination for a Critics' Choice Television Award. From 2016 to 2018, Spencer starred as history professor Lucy Preston in the NBC science-fiction series Timeless. Spencer has appeared in numerous films, such as In My Sleep (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), This Means War (2012), Chasing Mavericks (2012), The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and This Is Where I Leave You (2014).
Meagan Yvonne Tandy is an American actress and model. She is a former Miss California USA who placed as third runner-up at Miss USA 2007. As an actress, she had long running roles in Jane by Design, Teen Wolf, Survivor's Remorse, and recently starred as Sophie Moore on The CW's Batwoman.
Octavia Lenora Spencer is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, and is the first black actress to receive two consecutive Oscar nominations.
Maryann Plunkett is an American actress and singer. Plunkett made her Broadway debut playing Sister Agnes in Agnes of God. In 1987, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sally Smith in Me and My Girl. In addition, she has made appearances in various films and series’ such as Little Women, Manifest, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Dr. Death.
Annie is a 1999 American musical-comedy-drama television film from The Wonderful World of Disney, adapted from the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan, which in turn is based on the 1924 Little Orphan Annie comic strip by Harold Gray. It is the first remake and the second film adaptation of the musical following the 1982 theatrical film starring Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, and Albert Finney.
The Lost Valentine is a 2011 Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-television drama film starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Betty White and Sean Faris. It is based on the novel by James Michael Pratt of the same name, previously titled The Last Valentine, a 1998 New York Times and USA Today bestseller. In December 2011, Betty White received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie for her performance.
Gracie Gillam, formerly credited as Grace Phipps, is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is well known for starring in the Disney Channel movies Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2.
Bill Nuss is a TV writer and producer, who also writes for feature films and Broadway. He is President of Confidential Pictures, a Los Angeles-based production company that supplies primetime series to network, cable and streamers. With Dusty Kay (Entourage), he has written the book for The Honeymooners, a Broadway-bound musical based on the classic CBS television series.