Director’s bio

Award-winning writer/director/producer Michael J. Weithorn co-created and executive produced the hit CBS show “The King of Queens” from 1998–2007. Prior to that Weithorn created and EP’d the FOX sitcom “Ned & Stacey,” which ran for two seasons 1995-97. With Ralph Farquhar, Weithorn created and EP’d “South Central,” an edgy, dramatic half-hour which aired to great acclaim on FOX in the spring of 1994. From 1982-86, Weithorn spent four years as head writer and Supervising Producer of the hit NBC series “Family Ties”, receiving three Emmy Award nominations for producing and another Emmy nomination for writing.

In 2007, for Comedy Central’s Mother Lode platform, Weithorn co-created the animated web series “Baxter and McGuire,” which was featured in the Animated Short category at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Weithorn’s free-lance writing credits include multiple sketches for “The Tracey Ullman Show,” an episode of “The Wonder Years” (for which he earned an Emmy nomination in 1989), and an episode of “Cheers” (for which he won the 1984 Writers Guild of America Award).

2011’s “A Little Help”, starring Jenna Fischer and Chris O’Donnell, marked Weithorn’s debut as writer/director for the big screen. Prior to its theatrical release, the film delighted festival goers winning the San Diego Film Festival’s Best Feature Film Award, the Long Island Film Festival’s Jury Prize for Best Feature, the St. Louis Film Festival’s Cinema St. Louis Award, the Phoenix Film Festival’s Best Picture Award, the Indianapolis Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.

In 2013, Weithorn directed and co-produced the 30 minute short film “The Sidekick,” starring Benedict, Ron Livingston, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr and Jordan Peele. The film debuted to great acclaim at 2013 Comic Con, and was released digitally by Film Buff.

During the 2013-14 television season, Weithorn served as Consulting Producer for the new ABC series “The Goldbergs” writing two episodes, and in 2018-2019 was Consulting Producer on the Goldbergs spinoff “Schooled.” In the 2014-15 season, Weithorn created and EP’d the Fox comedy series, “Weird Loners.”

Since 2015, Weithorn has served as an adjunct professor in the Columbia University MFA Screenwriting Program, and in the Film and Media Arts Department at UCSB. He has taught writing workshops at Swarthmore College, Ghetto Film School, as well as various organizations providing services to the formerly incarcerated. An native of Queens, NY, Weithorn earned a BA in Political Science from Swarthmore College in 1978, then taught Social Studies at Brentwood School in Los Angeles for three years before breaking in to the field of comedy writing.