Alum Tom Fontana Talks About TV Series

Tom Fontana, ’73, joined Chris Long, executive producer of The Mentalist, to discuss developing “successful, long-running drama series,” according to Worldscreen.com, which covers the international media business. Fontana discussed ways to keep a long-running series fresh, saying, “…if you can listen to the …rhythm of the actors, that starts to feed you.”

Fontana wrote and produced television drama series including St. Elsewhere, Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street, and Borgia, which debuted in Italy in 2011. He has received numerous awards including three Emmys and four Peabody Awards, and was also the recipient of the 1987 Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award from the Buffalo State Alumni Association.

Originally posted: April 2014