Jerry Offsay is an American film and television executive and executive producer. He served as president of programming for Showtime Networks from 1994 to 2003, when he established Parkchester Pictures, his own production company.

Early life and education Jerry 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.

Career Law 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.

Film and television 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.

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. 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 2003 Offsay left Showtime to start Parkchester Pictures, his own production company, where he produces films and television.

Guest Lecturer Offsay has guest lectured at a number of Film, Business and Law Schools, including approximately 20 times at USC and approximately a dozen times at UCLA, where his guest lectures were frequently to combined classes for all 3 schools- he has also guest lectured at AFI, NYU, Columbia, LIU, Southwestern and Cal State Fullerton, amongst other places.

Expert Witness Drawing on his legal training and career in entertainment, Offsay has also served as an expert witness on approximately ten trials and arbitrations, such as Sobini Films v. Clear Skies Nevada, and has testified approximately a dozen times on behalf of several major studios, production companies, independent producers and distribution companies.

Recognition and awards 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.

In 2002 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jewish Image Awards in Film and Television. 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.

In 2003, he was awarded the Executive of the Year Award by the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers, and Directors. 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.

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. 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.

Programming and film awards

YearTitleAwardInvolvement1995Outer LimitsCableACE Award for Dramatic SeriesNetwork Programming President1997HiroshimaHumanitas Award, PBS/Cable — with John Hopkins and Toshiro IshidoNetwork Programming President1998HiroshimaGemini Award for Best Dramatic TV Movie or Mini-SeriesNetwork Programming President1998The Baby DancePeabody Award — with Jane AndersonNetwork Programming President1998In His Father's ShoesDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President1999Strange JusticePeabody Award — with Ernest DickersonNetwork Programming President1999The Island on Bird StreetDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2000Thanks of a Grateful NationHumanitas Award, PBS/Cable — with John Sacret YoungNetwork Programming President2000Summer's EndDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2001Varian's WarJewish Image Award for Cable Television Film AwardNetwork Programming President2001Things Behind the SunPeabody Award — with Allison AndersNetwork Programming President2001Run the Wild FieldsDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2001A Storm in SummerDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2002Resurrection Blvd.ALMA Award for Outstanding Television SeriesNetwork Programming President2002My Louisiana SkyDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2003My Louisiana SkyHumanitas Award, Children's Live Action — with Anna SandorNetwork Programming President2003Bang Bang You're DeadDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2003Soul FoodNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama SeriesNetwork Programming President2004Soul FoodNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama SeriesNetwork Programming President2004Our AmericaHumanitas Award, 90 Minutes — with Gordon RayfieldNetwork Programming President2004The Incredible Mrs. RitcheDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's SpecialNetwork Programming President2005Edge of AmericaPeabody Award — with Tim DalyNetwork Programming President2005Crown HeightsHumanitas Award, Children's Live Action — with Toni Ann Johnson and Michael D'AntonioNetwork Programming President2006The L WordGLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama SeriesNetwork Programming President2007Edge of AmericaHumanitas Award, Children's Live Action — with Willy HoltzmanNetwork Programming President2008As Seen Through These EyesMiami Jewish Film Festival, Winner of Best DocumentaryExecutive Producer2008As Seen Through These EyesLos Angeles Jewish Film Festival, Winner of Best DocumentaryExecutive Producer

Filmography YearTitleRole1987Hot PursuitExecutive Producer1987Hamburger HillExecutive Producer1988Eight Men OutExecutive Producer1990False IdentityExecutive Producer1990Women and Men: Stories of SeductionExecutive Producer1990The Shrimp on the BarbieExecutive Producer1990Narrow MarginCo-Producer1996DiaboliqueExecutive Producer2003Baadasssss!Executive Producer2004The Best Thief in the WorldExecutive Producer2004SpeakExecutive Producer2004BereftExecutive Producer2005Fathers and SonsExecutive Producer2005Sexual LifeExecutive Producer2006Keeping Up with the SteinsExecutive Consultant2008The Week ReducedExecutive Producer2008As Seen Through These EyesExecutive Producer2008Commuter ConfidentialExecutive Producer2010Iris ExpandingExecutive Producer2014Six Dance Lessons in Six WeeksExecutive Producer2017ShotExecutive Producer2020ReconExecutive Producer

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