Thomas Schnauz

Last updated

Thomas Schnauz
Born1966or1967(age 55–56)
Alma mater Tisch School of Arts
Occupation(s)Television producer, television writer
Years active2001–present

Thomas Schnauz (born 1966or1967) [1] is an American television producer and television writer. His credits include The X-Files , The Lone Gunmen , Night Stalker , Reaper , Breaking Bad , and Better Call Saul .

Contents

Personal life

Schnauz was born in Kearny, New Jersey. [2] He attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he first met fellow student Vince Gilligan. [3] Schnauz graduated from Tisch in 1988. [4] [ failed verification ]

Career

Schnauz started his career in various production jobs. His first screenplay was called Spirits in Passing. He eventually joined Vince Gilligan on the writing staff of The X-Files and its spinoff show, The Lone Gunmen . [3] He also co-wrote the screenplays for the 2008 film Otis and the 2008 television film Infected . In 2010, he re-teamed with Gilligan on Breaking Bad , where he remained through the show's 2013 conclusion.

Schnauz signed a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television in November 2014. [5]

Schnauz served as co-executive producer on AMC's Breaking Bad spinoff series Better Call Saul. [6] He has written and/or directed a number of its episodes including "Pimento", the penultimate episode of the show's first season, which received critical acclaim, as well as "Plan and Execution", the finale of the sixth season's first half that also received praise for Schnauz's writing. [7] [8]

In April 2015, it was reported that he had been tapped to write the screenplay for "a revisionist take" on "Jack and the Beanstalk", also to be produced by Vince Gilligan. [9]

In 2019, Schnauz joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging. [10]

Filmography

Writer

YearShowSeasonEpisode titleEpisodeNotes
2001 The Lone Gunmen 1"Madam, I'm Adam"6
"Tango de los Pistoleros"10
The X-Files 9 "Lord of the Flies"5
2002"Scary Monsters"14
2005 Night Stalker 1"The Five People You Meet in Hell"2
2007 Reaper 1"What About Blob"5
"Ashes to Ashes"9
2008"Coming to Grips"15
20092"I Want My Baby Back"5
2010 Breaking Bad 3 "One Minute"7
"Abiquiu"11Co-written with John Shiban
2011 4 "Shotgun"5
"Bug"9Co-written with Moira Walley-Beckett
"End Times"12Co-written with Moira Walley-Beckett
2012 5 "Say My Name"7Also directed
2013"Buried"10
2014 Resurrection 1"Unearth"2
2015 The Man in the High Castle 1"The Illustrated Woman"3
"Revelations"4
Better Call Saul 1 "Nacho"3
"Pimento"9Also directed
2016 2 "Switch"1Also directed
"Fifi"8
2017 3 "Witness"2
"Sabrosito"4Director only
"Expenses"7Also directed
2018 4 "Breathe"2
"Winner"10Co-written with Peter Gould
2020 5 "Wexler v. Goodman"6
"Bad Choice Road"9Also directed
2022 6 "Carrot and Stick"2Co-written with Ariel Levine
"Plan and Execution"7Also directed
"Breaking Bad"11Also directed

Production staff

YearShowRoleNotes
2001 The X-Files Story EditorSeason 9
2002
2005 Night Stalker Executive Story EditorSeason 1
2006
2007 Reaper Co-producerSeason 1
2008
2009ProducerSeason 2
2010 Breaking Bad Season 3
2011Supervising producerSeason 4
2012Co-executive producerSeason 5
2013
2014 Resurrection Season 1
2015 Better Call Saul Season 1
2016Executive producerSeason 2
2017Season 3
2018Season 4
2020Season 5
2022Season 6

Screenplays

YearTitleCreditNotes
2008 Infected WriterTV movie. Story by Tom Schnauz
2008 Otis WriterCo-wrote with Erik Jendresen

Awards and nominations

Schnauz has been nominated for Writers Guild of America Awards on six occasions, winning three times, for his work on the writing staffs of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Schnauz shared in the show's 2010 Dramatic Series nomination, and subsequent category wins in 2011, 2012 [11] and 2013, [12] for his work on Breaking Bad. He was nominated again in 2015 and 2016 in the Dramatic Series category for Better Call Saul.

He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for the 2012 Breaking Bad episode "Say My Name". [13]

YearAwardCategoryShowResult
2010 Writers Guild of America Award Best Dramatic Series Breaking Bad Nominated
2010 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Drama Series Nominated
2010 Producers Guild of America Award Best Episodic DramaNominated
2011Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic SeriesWon
2012Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2012Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic SeriesWon
2012Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic DramaNominated
2013Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Nominated
2013Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesWon
2013Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic SeriesWon
2013Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic DramaWon
2014Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesWon
2014Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic DramaWon
2015Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama Series Better Call Saul Nominated
2015Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic SeriesNominated
2015Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic DramaNominated
2016Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2016Writers Guild of America AwardBest Dramatic SeriesNominated
2016Producers Guild of America AwardBest Episodic DramaNominated
2017Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2019Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2019Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominated
2020Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2020Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominated
2022Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Drama SeriesNominated
2022Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Gilligan</span> American writer and producer (born 1967)

George Vincent Gilligan Jr. is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. He is known for his television work, specifically as creator, head writer, executive producer, and director of AMC's Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and its spin-off prequel series Better Call Saul (2015–2022). He was a writer and producer for The X-Files and was the co-creator of its spin-off, The Lone Gunmen (2001).

<i>Breaking Bad</i> (season 3) Third season of the AMC crime drama television series

The third season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on March 21, 2010, and concluded on June 13, 2010. It consisted of 13 episodes, each running about 47 minutes. AMC broadcast the third season on Sundays at 10:00 pm in the United States. The complete third season was released on Region 1 DVD and Region A Blu-ray on June 7, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Shiban</span> American television writer and producer

John Shiban is an American television writer and producer. He worked in both capacities on The X-Files and its spin-off The Lone Gunmen, Star Trek: Enterprise, Smallville, Supernatural, Legend of the Seeker, Breaking Bad, and The Vampire Diaries. In 1997, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for his work on The X-Files episode "Memento Mori". He shared the nomination with co-writers Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz, and Vince Gilligan. In 1998, Shiban shared a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series with The X-Files production team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Gould</span> American television writer and producer

Peter Gould is an American television writer, director and producer. He worked on all five seasons of the AMC drama Breaking Bad. He was nominated for four Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards for his work on the series. After Breaking Bad ended, he went on to become the co-creator and co-showrunner, with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, of the show's spinoff, Better Call Saul. He became the series' sole showrunner after Gilligan left the writers room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moira Walley-Beckett</span> Canadian-American actress

Moira Walley-Beckett is a Canadian television actress, producer, and writer. She was a writer and producer for the AMC drama Breaking Bad and the creator of two television series, Flesh and Bone and Anne with an E.

<i>Better Call Saul</i> American crime drama television series

Better Call Saul is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the Breaking Bad franchise, it is a spin-off from Gilligan's previous series, Breaking Bad (2008–2013), to which it serves as both a prequel and sequel. Better Call Saul premiered on AMC on February 8, 2015, and ended on August 15, 2022, with a total of 63 episodes over six seasons.

<i>Breaking Bad</i> (season 5) Fifth season of the AMC crime drama television series

The fifth and final season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on July 15, 2012, and concluded on September 29, 2013 on AMC in the United States and Canada. The 16-episode season is split into two parts, each containing eight episodes. The first part of the season was broadcast from July 15 to September 2, 2012, and aired on Sundays at 10:00 pm ET. The second part was broadcast from August 11 to September 29, 2013, and aired on Sundays at 9:00 pm ET. It debuted in the UK and Ireland on Netflix, showing one day after the episodes aired in the U.S. and Canada. Part 1 was released on region 1 DVD and region A Blu-ray on June 4, 2013, and part 2 was released on November 26, 2013.

"Say My Name" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the American television crime drama series Breaking Bad, and the 53rd overall episode of the series. Written and directed by Thomas Schnauz, it aired on AMC on August 26, 2012.

Gennifer Hutchison is an American television and film writer. She is best known for her work on the television series Breaking Bad. She won two Writers Guild of America Awards for her work on the series as a part of the writing team in 2012 and 2013. She was also a writer and executive producer on Better Call Saul.

Uno (<i>Better Call Saul</i>) 1st episode of the 1st season of Better Call Saul

"Uno" is the series premiere of the television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. The episode was written by series creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, and directed by Gilligan. In the United States, the episode aired on February 8, 2015 and lasted 50 minutes and 55 seconds, on AMC. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

<i>Better Call Saul</i> (season 1) First season of the AMC crime drama television series

The first season of the American television drama series Better Call Saul premiered on February 8, 2015, and concluded on April 6, 2015. The ten-episode season was broadcast on Monday nights in the United States on AMC, excluding the first episode which aired on a Sunday. A spin-off of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, both of whom also worked on Breaking Bad.

"Pimento" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the first season of the AMC television series Better Call Saul, the spin-off series of Breaking Bad. The episode aired on March 30, 2015 on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.

"Inflatable" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American television crime drama series Better Call Saul, a spin-off series of Breaking Bad. Written by Gordon Smith and directed by Colin Bucksey, the episode aired on AMC in the United States on March 28, 2016. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on the streaming service Netflix in several countries.

Gordon Smith is an American television screenwriter, best known for his work on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Smith has been nominated for three individual Primetime Emmys, and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama in 2018 for the episode "Chicanery", and has received several other nominations.

<i>El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie</i> 2019 American film by Vince Gilligan

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is a 2019 American neo-Western crime thriller drama film. Part of the Breaking Bad franchise, it serves as a sequel and epilogue to the television series Breaking Bad. It continues the story of Jesse Pinkman, who partnered with former teacher Walter White throughout the series to build a crystal meth empire based in Albuquerque. Series creator Vince Gilligan wrote, directed, and produced El Camino; Aaron Paul reprised his role as Jesse Pinkman. Several Breaking Bad actors also reprised their roles, including Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Robert Forster, Jonathan Banks, and Bryan Cranston. Forster died on the day of El Camino's release, making the film one of his final on-screen appearances.

Bagman (<i>Better Call Saul</i>) 8th episode of the 5th season of Better Call Saul

"Bagman" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of the American crime drama television series Better Call Saul, the spinoff series of Breaking Bad. Written by Gordon Smith and directed by Vince Gilligan, the episode aired on April 6, 2020, on AMC in the United States. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered in several countries on Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrot and Stick</span> 2nd episode of the 6th season of Better Call Saul

"Carrot and Stick" is the second episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. Vince Gilligan directed the episode written by Thomas Schnauz and Ariel Levine. The episode aired back-to-back with "Wine and Roses" on April 18, 2022, on AMC and AMC+. In several countries outside the United States and Canada, the episode premiered on Netflix the following day.

Breaking Bad (<i>Better Call Saul</i>) 11th episode of the 6th season of Better Call Saul

"Breaking Bad" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. It was written and directed by Thomas Schnauz. The episode aired on AMC and AMC+ on August 1, 2022, before debuting online in certain territories on Netflix the following day. "Breaking Bad" depicts the life of Jimmy McGill, both during his time as lawyer "Saul Goodman" in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and after changing his identity to Gene Takavic and relocating to Omaha, Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saul Gone</span> 13th episode of the 6th season of Better Call Saul

"Saul Gone" is the series finale of Better Call Saul, the spin-off television series of Breaking Bad. It is the thirteenth and final episode of the sixth season and the series' 63rd episode overall. Written and directed by Peter Gould, who co-created the series with Vince Gilligan, the episode aired on AMC and AMC+ on August 15, 2022, before debuting online in certain territories on Netflix the following day.

References

  1. "'X-Files' Episode Set in Stafford". The Asbury Park Press . October 14, 2001. p. AA3. One of the show's writers, Thomas Schnauz, 34, spent his adolescence in southern Ocean County and is a 1984 graduate of Southern Regional High School.
  2. Canessa Jr., Kevin (May 28, 2014). "From Kearny to Hollywood: How Thomas Schnauz made it big on the small screen". The Observer . Retrieved August 13, 2022. I spent a lot of time in Kearny when I was younger. I was born there...
  3. 1 2 "The Writers Room cast members". Sundance TV. Retrieved April 3, 2015.[ dead link ]
  4. "In This Issue". Alumni Magazine. No. 37. New York University. Spring 2021.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (January 9, 2014). "'Breaking Bad's Tom Schnauz Inks Overall Deal With Sony TV, Joins 'Better Call Saul'". Deadline. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  6. Littleton, Cynthia (December 20, 2013). "'Breaking Bad' Writers Join 'Better Call Saul' Staff". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  7. Bowman, Donna (March 30, 2015). "Better Call Saul: 'Pimento'". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  8. Sepinwall, Alan (March 30, 2015). "'Better Call Saul' - 'Pimento': Shut the door, have a seat". HitFix. Retrieved April 26, 2015.[ dead link ]
  9. Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 22, 2015). "Disney, ' Breaking Bad' Creator Vince Gilligan Taking Another Whack At Jack And The Beanstalk". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  10. "Patton Oswalt, David Simon, Danny Zuker, More WGA Members Post Termination Letters". Variety. April 13, 2019.
  11. 2012 Nominees & Winners, Writers Guild Awards - Writers Guild of America, West Archived 2015-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
  12. 2013 Nominees & Winners, Writers Guild Awards - Writers Guild of America, West Archived 2015-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
  13. "65th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 26, 2015.