Jeff Rake
 |
Jeff Rake | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jeffrey Paul Rake June 19, 1966 |
| Alma mater | Columbia University (BA) UC Berkeley School of Law (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Television showrunner, producer |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Co-creating Manifest and The Mysteries of Laura |
Jeffrey Paul Rake[1] is an American television producer and writer. He is known for his work on Boston Legal and creating the NBC shows Manifest, The Mysteries of Laura and Miss Match.[2]
Biography
[edit]Rake was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Encino, Los Angeles.[3] He attended Harvard-Westlake School and graduated from Columbia University in 1990.[4][5] He was the president of Columbia College Student Council during his senior year.[6] At Columbia, he was also a classmate of television producer Gina Fattore and Academy Award-winning film producer Dede Gardner.[7]
He received a J.D. degree from UC Berkeley School of Law, where he was a finalist in the James Patterson McBaine Honors Moot Court Competition and an executive editor of the California Law Review.[8][9]
After graduating from law school, Rake clerked for two federal judges [which?] and joined one of L.A.'s top law firms[which?]. During his tenure as a lawyer, he took a leave of absence and wrote the musical Hound Dog: A hip hOpera, an alternative history of Elvis Presley starring Wayne Brady.[10] The play premiered in 1996 in Los Angeles.[10]
Rake then entered the television business and co-created the Fox series The Street in 2000. He then put his legal knowledge to work by writing and producing episodes of Boston Legal and The Practice.[3] He co-wrote the pilot for Boston Legal, co-created the series Miss Match and The Mysteries of Laura.[11]
In 2017, he created Manifest. The show was initially cancelled, but was picked up by Netflix and became the third show to reach 100 days in Netflix's Top 10 charts.[12] In August 2021, the show was renewed for a fourth season.[13][14]
Los Angeles Times called him a member of the "Ex-Lawyers Club," a group of television showrunners, producers, and writers who were once lawyers before switching careers and joining the entertainment industry. Other ex-lawyers named by the Times were David E. Kelley, Carol Mendelsohn, Richard Appel, and Stephen Engel.[15]
Personal life and family
[edit]Rake is married to Paulette Light, executive director of the Charles Bronfman prize, who he met in college.[4][16]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Screenwriter | Executive producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 | The Street | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rake's television debut, wrote 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Miss Match | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote 6 episodes |
| 2004 | Boston Legal | Yes | Yes | No | Co-wrote pilot episode |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | Yes | Yes | No | Wrote 1 episode |
| 2013–2014 | The Tomorrow People | Yes | No | No | Wrote 6 episodes |
| 2014–2016 | The Mysteries of Laura | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote 9 episodes |
| 2018–2023 | Manifest | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote 10 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^ "Jeffrey Paul Rake # 169928 - Attorney Licensee Search". members.calbar.ca.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "'Manifest' Will Keep Its Original Ending, Says Creator Jeff Rake". Collider. September 1, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "A Dream Come True, on Two Coasts". Television Academy. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "Storytelling with Columbia". Columbia College. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "Columbia Spectator 5 December 1989 — Columbia Spectator". spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "30 Bingeable TV Shows Made by Columbia Graduates". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "Past McBaine Winners". Berkeley Law. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "Front Matter". California Law Review. 81 (2): 593. 1993. ISSN 0008-1221. JSTOR 3480755.
- ^ a b Foley, Kathleen (November 29, 1996). "'Hound Dog': Elvis Meets Rap Music". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 23, 2017). "'Manifest' Missing Plane Mystery Thriller From Jeff Rake & Robert Zemeckis Set At NBC As Put Pilot". Deadline. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Nelson, Elise (September 25, 2021). "How 'Manifest' Made History With Its Streak on Netflix's Top 10 Charts". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Hibberd, James (September 15, 2021). "Why Netflix Really Saved 'Manifest' (It Wasn't the Tweets)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Behnke, Megan (September 19, 2021). "Manifest Creator Explains When He Knew Things Were Going South For Show At NBC". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Tomashoff, Craig (January 22, 2002). "The Ex-Lawyers Club". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "Who We Are". The Charles Bronfman Prize. Retrieved October 2, 2021.