John Bowman (screenwriter)
John Frederick Bowman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | December 28, 2021 (aged 64) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Television writer, producer |
| Years active | 1988–2021 |
| Known for | Co-creator of Martin; writer for Saturday Night Live, The Show, In Living Color; showrunner on Murphy Brown |
John Frederick Bowman (September 28, 1957 – December 28, 2021) was a prominent American television writer and producer, recognized primarily for co-creating the Fox sitcom Martin. His writing credits include contributions to Saturday Night Live, The Show, and In Living Color. Additionally, he held the role of showrunner on Murphy Brown. Bowman earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 1989 for his work on Saturday Night Live and garnered two further Emmy nominations for In Living Color in 1991 and 1992.
Early life and career
Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bowman attended Whitefish Bay High School before enrolling at Harvard College, where he served as an editor for The Harvard Lampoon. He completed his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1985, subsequently joining PepsiCo as a junior executive. In 1988, he and his spouse, Shannon Gaughan, began their tenure as staff writers on Saturday Night Live.
During the 2007–08 writers' strike, Bowman chaired the Writers Guild of America negotiating committee. Later in his career, he imparted his expertise in comedy writing as an instructor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Personal life and death
Bowman wed Shannon Gaughan in 1982; the couple met while collaborating on The Harvard Lampoon and had five children together.
He passed away at age 64 on December 28, 2021, at his residence in Santa Monica, California, due to complications from dilated cardiomyopathy.