Michael Patrick King
A former stand-up comic-turned-television scribe, Michael Patrick King was one of the driving creative forces behind the television series and pop culture juggernaut "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004). Prior to that series' inception, King had developed a reputation in Hollywood as a writer and producer with an ear for shows built around strong female characters like "Murphy Brown" (CBS, 1988-1998) and "Will & Grace" (NBC, 1998-2006). "Sex and the City" creator Darren Star recognized these traits and brought him on board as a writer and executive producer, where he helped to develop its four main characters as well as pen numerous scripts. He was richly rewarded for his work on the series, including two Emmys. King returned to the "Sex and the City" (2008) universe as the producer and director of the hotly anticipated feature film version, which reunited its original cast. Much to the amazement of almost everyone who doubted the power of female moviegoers, it opened in first place its first weekend. With the success of its sequel "Sex in the City 2" (2010) and a new sitcom "2 Broke Girls" (CBS, 2011- ) it seemed as if the writer-producer's winning streak was just getting started. Having successfully tapped into the zeitgeist at the turn of the millennium, King had proven himself as one of the more dependable comedic voices in Hollywood, catering to an under-served, yet influential female demographic.