DANIELLE CLAMAN GELBER
FOUNDER OF ACOUSTIC PRODUCTIONS
MA ‘12, American University, School of International Studies
Danielle Claman Gelber is an established television producer and network executive and founder of her television production company, ACOUSTIC PRODUCTIONS. The company has a first look deal with Universal Television, and is based at NBC/UNI. She is currently readying a full slate of multiple projects with the studio for NBC and all broadcast, cable and streaming networks and platforms under her own banner for the 2017-18 television season. ACOUSTIC PRODUCTIONS has a mandate to create and produce scripted and non-scripted television series of all genres.
Most recently Gelber served as the Executive Vice President of producer Dick Wolf’s production company, Wolf Films, where she headed scripted programming and development for the company. Additionally, she was Executive Producer of NBC’s CHICAGO FIRE, which anchors the network’s noted CHICAGO trilogy franchise. She served in the same capacity on CHICAGO P.D., as well as CHICAGO MED. The first two series garnered multiple nominations for the People’s Choice Award, with Chicago Fire star, Taylor Kinney winning the award in 2016. The shows have also won both the Prism Award and the Chicago International Film Festival Television Award for two consecutive years. All three series were renewed by the network for the 2017-18 television season.
From 2002-2011 Gelber was Senior Vice President, Original Programming for Showtime Networks, Inc. where she was responsible for the development and creative oversight of much of Showtime’s slate of original programming.
She is credited with developing multiple drama and comedy series for the premium cable network, including the multi-Emmy-nominated comedy “Weeds,” starring Mary Louise Parker, which ran for eight seasons and garnered Parker a Golden Globe award as well as multiple Emmy nominations.
While at Showtime, Gelber also developed the landmark comedy, “The Big C,” starring Laura Linney, which The American Film Institute named to its Top 10 Television Series for 2010. Linney was awarded with a Golden Globe and Emmy for her lead performance.
Additionally, Gelber developed and served as creative executive in charge of “Episodes,” Showtime’s first ever co-production with the BBC. The series stars Matt LeBlanc, who won the 2011 Emmy for his role, and was created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik (“Friends,” “Mad About You”).
She developed and served as the creative executive in charge for all six seasons of “The L Word.” The series was awarded with a GLAAD Award for Best Drama Series for its lasting impact on the cultural landscape, due to its landmark portrayal of the lives of contemporary gay women. She also developed the reality series, “The Real L Word,” which was inspired by and based on the pay cable network’s success with the fictional “The L Word,” and helped bring Lisa Kudrow’s Webby Award-winning series, “Web Therapy,” to Showtime. In 2007, Gelber spearheaded the effort to bring to Showtime the U.S. premiere of the hit British series “Secret Diary of a Call Girl.” Gelber developed Showtime’s Emmy-nominated miniseries, “Sleeper Cell” which won the AFI Award for 10 Best Television Miniseries in 2003, as well as the Emmy-winning drama series, “Huff,” starring Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt and Blythe Danner.
Before Showtime, Gelber spent seven years at the FOX network where she was Senior Vice President, Drama Series Programming, heading the network’s drama division.
During that time, she developed the multi-Emmy, Golden Globe, and Humanitas award winning series “The X-Files,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Party of Five.” As well, Gelber developed many popular shows including “Melrose Place,” “Beverly Hills: 90210,” “Boston Public,” “Millennium,” “New York Undercover” “Roswell” and “Dark Angel.” Gelber notably developed the original pilot scripts for “The Sopranos” and “Dawson’s Creek,” which later went on to have critical and commercial success on HBO and The WB respectively.
Prior to FOX, Gelber was Director of Television Development for Spelling Television, managing legendary producer Aaron Spelling’s string of hit series including “Dynasty,” “Hotel” and “The Love Boat.” She also developed a full slate of series and MOW’s alongside Spelling, including the Emmy Award-winning HBO AIDS mini-series, “And the Band Played On.”
Gelber has twice been appointed to the Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 list as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment,” and she holds the distinction of having been named one of CableFax Magazine’s 2008 “50 Most Powerful Women in Cable.” In 2003, Gelber also received the prestigious Multichannel News’ Wonder Woman of the Year Award, and has been awarded one of Jewish Women International’s 2013 Women to Watch honors, as well as LUPUS LA’s 2015 Entertainment Woman of the Year recognition.
Gelber received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in international relations and communications from American University. She is a longtime member of ATAS, HRTS, The Museum of Radio and Television, and Women in Film. She serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board to School of Communications at American University in Washington, D.C.