Name Kevin Murphy Role Screenwriter | Education Drew University | |
Plays Heathers: The Musical, Reefer Madness Awards Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics Nominations Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music TV shows Hellcats, Honey - I Shrunk th, Valentine, RiffTrax Similar Laurence O'Keefe, Jenna Bans, Andy Fickman, Alexandra Cunningham, Larry Shaw Profiles | ||
Kevin Murphy is an American screenwriter, television producer, lyricist and composer. He wrote the book and lyrics of the musical Reefer Madness, as well as its television adaptation. For television, he has worked as a writer and producer for many series, most notably Desperate Housewives.
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Television
Murphy's television career began as a writer for the family sitcom Big Brother Jake. He went on to write for the animated series The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sabrina: The Animated Series and Phantom Investigators; the science fiction-themed family programs Weird Science (TV series), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show and So Weird; the action series Martial Law; the romantic comedy-dramas Jack & Jill and Ed; and the family dramas Get Real and The O'Keefes. From its premiere in 2004 to 2007, he worked as head writer and co-executive producer for the hit comedy-drama Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2005, when Murphy was its head writer.
In 2007, Murphy wrote and produced an original TV movie titled Nobody. In the same year, he worked as a writer and co-executive producer for the supernatural-themed comedy-drama Reaper. He also contributed original songs to Nobody and Reaper. In 2008, Murphy created the short-lived comedy-drama Valentine. In October 2009, Murphy joined the staff of the Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica. A month later, he became the showrunner for the SyFy drama, taking over from Jane Espenson.
As of 2009, Murphy has been working with Tom Welling to develop the September 2010 series Hellcats television series for the CW, based on the book Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders by Kate Torgovnick. He was also working on a drama titled Velvet Hammer for USA Network.
Murphy is currently the producer for SyFy Network's series Defiance.
Stage
Murphy wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book for the musical Reefer Madness. It was his third collaboration with writer-composer Dan Studney, but the first to be professionally produced. For the off-Broadway production of Reefer Madness, Murphy was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Lyrics". In 2005, Murphy and Studney adapted their stage musical for television for Showtime. The song "Mary Jane/Mary Lane", which they composed for the television adaptation, won an Emmy Award for Music and Lyrics.
In 2009, Murphy began developing a musical adaptation of the 1988 film Heathers. Murphy wrote the book and lyrics, and the score was written by Laurence O'Keefe, composer of Legally Blonde: The Musical. Three staged readings of the Heathers musical took place, with Kristen Bell in the starring role; the creators hoped for a regional production in 2010, to be followed by a Broadway run in 2011. In 2013, the musical began a run Sept. 21 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Los Angeles. The musical then began an Off-Broadway run in March 2014 and closed in August 2014. There are rumors of a movie musical coming in 2016, as well as a Broadway run.
Personal life
Murphy is a graduate of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.