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Women Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Jennifer M. Johnson

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Jennifer M. Johnson

Today’s Women Behind the Scenes spotlight is shone on Television producer and writer Jennifer M. Johnson.

Jennifer began her career in the entertainment industry by writing for the MTV series Undressed in 1999 before becoming a story editor and writer on the fourth season of Providence in 2001. She returned for the fifth and final season in 2002, writing several episodes of the NBC series.

The following year she became an executive story editor on The Guardian where she had the chance to also write several episodes of the CBS series. In 2004, she joined the staff of the ABC juggernaut series Lost, working as a writer and co-producer, but she was only with them for one season.

The next year she became a writer and producer for the short-lived FOX drama Reunion, which was cancelled before it could complete its planned 20 episodes. In 2006, she became a supervising producer and writer for the fourth season of Cold Case; and the following season she was promoted to co-executive producer. One year later she was, once again, promoted this time to the position of executive producer, a position she held for two seasons.

In 2010, she wrote the pilot for the NBC series Chase, and when the pilot was picked up as a series (short-lived though it turned out to be), she served as an executive producer.

Last year, she was brought on as a consultant for the FOX drama Alcatraz, but was bumped up to executive producer/co-show runner following the departure of co-creator and executive producer Liz Sarnoff. Alcatraz has yet to be given a second season pick-up by the network, but Jennifer has signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox.

Using her favorite online handle, Rueben is an East Coast-bred gal who is now a permanent Californian and a lifelong tv-oholic. She watches at least 25 TV shows a week, goes to the movies as often as possible, listens to music every waking moment, reads every day and “plays” on the internet every chance she can. Some of her current favorite TV shows are Outlander, Sweet Magnolias, Wednesday, The Mandalorian, The Equalizer, Fire Country, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Rookie, Cobra Kai, Virgin River, The Witcher, Leverage: Redemption and School Spirits.  She is looking forward to the season premieres of Hudson & Rex on UPtv and Skymed on Paramount+ as well as the return of fall TV albeit starting in February. Follow her at @ruebenrambling or contact her at rueben@nicegirlstv.com.