Paul Simms

Writer-producer Paul Simms was the creative force behind one of the most critically praised but little-seen sitcoms of the 1990s, "Newsradio" (NBC, 1995-99). Simms, who had begun his career in journalism as a writer for the Harvard Lampoon and Spy, was just 29 years old at the time of its debut, with only a handful of television credits to his name. However, those credits included "Late Night With David Letterman" (NBC, 1982-1993) and "The Larry Sanders Show" (HBO, 1992-98), which helped him to land a development deal with NBC. "NewsRadio" had a fraught tenure on the network, including frequent time slot changes and clashes over tone, which contributed to its demise, but its irreverent wit and dream cast - which included Dave Foley, Phil Hartman, Andy Dick and Joe Rogan - kept Simms in demand as a TV scribe and producer. He would remain an in-demand consultant and producer on such equally off-beat shows as "Bored to Death" (HBO, 2009-2011) and "Girls" (HBO, 2012- ) while retaining his status as one of TV comedy's most independent creative figures.