Biographie
Jim launched his comedy career in 1973 by joining the well-known New York comedy trio, Divided We Stand. The group regularly performed at the Improvisation Cafe and other New York venues like The Bitter End, Catch A Rising Star, and The Bottom Line, but primarily toured colleges and nightclubs. They appeared at hundreds of colleges across forty-seven states and Europe, sharing the stage with artists such as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Beach Boys, The Commodores, Jimmy Buffett, The Righteous Brothers, Bill Withers, War, Sha Na Na, and The Temptations.
In 1980, Jim moved to Los Angeles with his actress wife, Annie Gagen, to pursue television writing. There, he wrote and produced popular TV shows including Silver Spoons, Punky Brewster, Mama's Family, Three's Company, Sanford, The Facts of Life, Empire, Kate and Allie, Too Close For Comfort, It's Gary Shandling's Show, Boys Will Be Boys, The Van Dyke Show, Amen, and Family Matters. He co-created and executive produced The Suite Life of Zack and Cody for the Disney Channel, which later evolved into The Suite Life on Deck. The Zack and Cody franchise is about to enter its seventh record-breaking season. These shows earned Jim two Emmy nominations.
Jim is also an accomplished playwright. His critically acclaimed play Only Kidding ran off-Broadway for 500 performances. It received two Drama Desk Award nominations, including Outstanding New Play, was acquired by HBO, published by Samuel French, and produced at regional theaters nationwide including the Cleveland Playhouse, Wisdom Bridge in Chicago, the Asolo, and the Odyssey in Los Angeles. His play Light Sensitive premiered at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, was published by Samuel French, and has been produced over forty times across the U.S. It received nominations for the Jefferson Theater Award in Chicago, seven Drama-Logue Awards in Los Angeles, an Ovation Award nomination, and five Bay Area Critics Awards. Two Gentlemen of Corona premiered at the West Coast Ensemble in Los Angeles, where it won an LA Ovation Award, and has recently been published by Samuel French. Additionally, Jim wrote the book and lyrics for UG, a musical comedy about cavemen discovering theater. UG premiered at the San Jose Stage Company and has been published by Dramatists Play Service.
