Women Writers of Film & Television Project: Abby Akinleye
Disciplines
Screenwriting
Abstract (300 words maximum)
In this presentation, I will be discussing television creator and showrunner Marta Kauffman and how her work in the 1990s impacted women screenwriters and the television shows that came after her. Kauffman is best known for her sitcom Friends (1994-2004), which she co-created with David Crane. Their approach with this sitcom, which focused on the relationships between friends instead family, inspired a new generation of television creators to center their series on the many complexities of friendship. Creators of shows such as New Girl (2011-2018) and Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) covered similar ground to Friends, and even have characters with similarities to those in Friends, such as the character Schmidt from New Girl who shares many traits with Joey from Friends. Kauffman’s success in television has allowed her to support other women in the industry through her Okay Goodnight production company, which focuses on creating female-centric content with women in key roles behind the scenes. Kauffman's accomplishments have allowed other women screenwriters to gain more access and recognition for their work in the 1990s to present day
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Weinstein
Women Writers of Film & Television Project: Abby Akinleye
In this presentation, I will be discussing television creator and showrunner Marta Kauffman and how her work in the 1990s impacted women screenwriters and the television shows that came after her. Kauffman is best known for her sitcom Friends (1994-2004), which she co-created with David Crane. Their approach with this sitcom, which focused on the relationships between friends instead family, inspired a new generation of television creators to center their series on the many complexities of friendship. Creators of shows such as New Girl (2011-2018) and Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) covered similar ground to Friends, and even have characters with similarities to those in Friends, such as the character Schmidt from New Girl who shares many traits with Joey from Friends. Kauffman’s success in television has allowed her to support other women in the industry through her Okay Goodnight production company, which focuses on creating female-centric content with women in key roles behind the scenes. Kauffman's accomplishments have allowed other women screenwriters to gain more access and recognition for their work in the 1990s to present day