Jerry Offsay is an American motion picture & television executive and executive producer. He served as President of Programming for Showtime Networks from 1994-2003.

Early life and education

Offsay grew up in Parkchester, a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. His father worked at a small display-design company, where his mother was the company bookkeeper. Offsay was the third of four children. He attended the Bronx High School of Science, State University of New York at Binghamton, and later Columbia Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 1977.^[1]

Career

After graduating from law school, Offsay began his career at the Los Angeles office of Loeb & Loeb. He worked in the firm’s entertainment law practice, finding his specialty in the financing and production of independent films. He was made partner at age 28.^[2]

Looking for a change from the law, Offsay joined RKO Pictures as President of Production. At RKO, Offsay served as executive producer on several films including Hamburger Hill and Eight Men Out, and co–produced Narrow Margin. In 1990 Offsay became Executive Vice President at ABC Productions, ABC’s newly launched programming company. During his four years at ABC, Offsay supervised the production of the ABCP's programming, including series, miniseries, and movies such as The Commish, and Dominick Dunne's An Inconvenient Woman, and Neil Simon's Broadway Bound.^[3]

In January 1994 Offsay began his new role as President of Programming at Showtime Networks. He saw an opportunity to bring theater-quality movies to premium television—just as HBO was doing, who at the time released new films monthly. Offsay embarked on a journey to put on an original movie every week.^[1] During Offsay's tenure, Showtime more than tripled its original programming, producing and/or commissioning over 300 hundred original films and 20 television series. Over 70 movies were nominated for Emmys; one was nominated for an Oscar. Notable television series Offsay put on the air include Stargate, The Outer Limits, Soul Food, Queer As Folk, The L Word, and Penn and Teller’s Bullshit!, all of which ran five seasons or longer.

In 2001 Offsay won the Governors Award from the Television Academy for Showtime's diversity programming. That year he was also honored at the ACLU's annual Bill of Rights Awards for introducing topics and issues to the mainstream through Showtime's programming.^[4] In 2002 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jewish Image Awards in Film and Television.^[5] That same year the Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up awarded the Premier Award to Offsay for Showtime's commitment to providing access to quality work that might otherwise go unseen.^[6] He was awarded the Executive of the Year Award by the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers, and Directors in 2003.^[7] During Offsay's tenure at Showtime, the network was awarded six Humanitas Prizes and four Peabody Awards and won eight Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Children's Special category in seven consecutive years.

In 2003 Offsay left Showtime to start Parkchester Pictures, his own production company where he produces films and television. Offsay, drawing on his legal training and career in entertainment, has also served as an expert witness on several industry cases, such as Sobini Films v. Clear Skies Nevada.^[8]

Personal life

Offsay and his wife, Pam, supported the development of Offsay Steinhauser Village, a 15-unit L.A. Family Housing affordable housing complex in the Valley Glen neighborhood of Los Angeles.^[9] For over 20 years they hosted—originally at Offsay's home but soon expanded to Paramount Studios—an annual "Dessert Party" which raised funds for L.A. Family Housing’s Valley Shelter for the Homeless.^[10]

Offsay lives and works in Los Angeles. Together he and Pam have four children and two grandchildren.

Award-Winning Programming

Filmography as Producer / Executive Producer

References