Larry Jacobson(I)
- Producer
- Executive
Larry Jacobson has produced over 1400 hours of television series, movies and miniseries for a wide range of broadcast and cable networks in the U.S. and Canada, international co-productions and first-run syndication. The diversity of the projects he has produced underscores his deep experience in producing television and film for over 40 years.
Larry started his television career when he was an undergraduate student at the University of Connecticut. At the end of his sophomore year, he was invited to join the staff of the newly set up TV/radio production unit. The department produced public service shows that were sent to every TV channel and radio station in the state showing what the University was accomplishing. For example, they developed the first fuel for all the space shoots. Larry kept the job until he graduated and joined the army.
After the military, he started as page at NBC. He then moved on at the network to the producing staff for the world-famous Emmy Awards and the well-known NBC Children's Theatre.
In the 70s, he created and was executive producer of the multi-award-winning Emmy nominated series Water World starring Lloyd Bridges. After Water World's five-season U.S. run, it was successfully aired throughout the world. Larry added to his success a five-season run of the auto racing television series, The Racers, co-hosted by Curt Gowdy and three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford.
From 1974 to 1977, Larry continued his prolific producing career, which included, The Year of the Gentle Tiger for CBS, the James Whitmore 52-episode docu-drama series, Comeback, three Miss National Teenager pageants, and A Whole New Season... Called Winter, a musical variety special, starring Michael Landon.
In 1977 he joined American International Pictures, one of the industry's leading independent production/distribution studios, as Executive Producer in charge of Television Development and Production. In 1980, he partnered with Sonny Grosso to form Grosso/Jacobson productions. Larry was CEO and EP of Grosso/Jacobson for 31 years.
Larry's extensive producing credits include: Secret Service, a one-hour weekly series hosted by President Gerald Ford's son, Steven Ford, for NBC; Counterstrike, a one-hour weekly adventure series starring Christopher Plummer for USA Network and CTV Network in Canada; Bellevue Emergency, a one-hour weekly reality docu-drama series for ABC; Night Heat, an award-winning one-hour weekly police drama for CBS/CTV (the 106 episode series is still being broadcast in various places around the world); starring Robert Mitchum, A Family For Joe, a film followed by a one-hour weekly sitcom for NBC; True Blue, a one-hour weekly action series about the Emergency Service Squad of the NYPD for NBC; Diamonds, a one-hour weekly comedy/drama series for CBS/CTV; Hot Shots, a one-hour weekly action series for CBS/CTV; Baker's Dozen, a half-hour weekly sitcom for CBS starring Ron Silver; plus 130 episodes of the courtroom series Juvenile Justice; 178 episodes of Top Cops, a dramatic series for CBS; and 66 episodes of The Big Easy, a one-hour dramatic series for USA Network.
Other projects include: Pee Wee's Playhouse for CBS, The Gunfighters - a movie for COLUMBIA PICTURES, Lost in Death Valley and Diary of a Teenage Shoplifter - both films for CBS. Also, for CBS, Larry has produced Out of the Darkness starring Martin Sheen, Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer with George Segal, and A Question of Honor a six-hour mini-series starring Ben Gazarra, Danny Aiello and Paul Sorvino.
Larry also produced All American Girl, The Mary Kay Letourneau Story starring Penelope Ann Miller and Mercedes Ruehl, and a documentary that followed called Letourneau Live with host Joan Lunden for the USA NETWORK. The Letourneau movie was one of USA's highest rated movies ever. For HBO, Larry produced the documentary Judgment Day - Should The Guilty Go Free, as well as producing The French Connection 30th Anniversary Special for FOX and for NBC, NY-70 (the Pilot based on the French Connection case), the film Kings of South Beach, written by Nick Pileggi, starring Donnie Wahlberg and Jason Gedrick for A&E and SONY PICTURES, and the film Citizen Jane starring Ally Sheedy and Meatloaf Aday for the HALLMARK CHANNEL.
In addition, Larry produced ten Mary Higgins Clark best-sellers for CBS, The Family Channel, and Lifetime: Haven't We Met Before starring Nicollette Sheridan, Loves
Music, Loves To Dance starring Patsy Kensit, Pretend You Don't See Her starring Emma Samms, You Belong To Me starring Lesley Anne Down, All Around The Town starring Nastassja Kinski, Lucky Day starring Amanda Donohoe, Remember Me starring Kelly McGillis, Moonlight Becomes You starring Donna Mills, Let Me Call You Sweetheart starring Meredith Baxter and While My Pretty One Sleeps starring Connie Selleca. His most recent project, a non-scripted series called Before the Fame. The series is being distributed world-wide by Principal Media. Larry has also executive produced three docu-drama pilots, So You Wanna Be A Princess for E!, Bullett for TruTV, and most recently, for Starlings Entertainment Greatest Prison Escapes, which is going to series. Projects currently in development include: the Stan Lee created series Shaman, and the Jeff Sagansky created series Bern & Chern. Also in development are two theatrical films, a faith film called Soldier of Christ and a dramedy titled Borrowing Elvis.
Music, Loves To Dance starring Patsy Kensit, Pretend You Don't See Her starring Emma Samms, You Belong To Me starring Lesley Anne Down, All Around The Town starring Nastassja Kinski, Lucky Day starring Amanda Donohoe, Remember Me starring Kelly McGillis, Moonlight Becomes You starring Donna Mills, Let Me Call You Sweetheart starring Meredith Baxter and While My Pretty One Sleeps starring Connie Selleca. His most recent project, a non-scripted series called Before the Fame. The series is being distributed world-wide by Principal Media. Larry has also executive produced three docu-drama pilots, So You Wanna Be A Princess for E!, Bullett for TruTV, and most recently, for Starlings Entertainment Greatest Prison Escapes, which is going to series. Projects currently in development include: the Stan Lee created series Shaman, and the Jeff Sagansky created series Bern & Chern. Also in development are two theatrical films, a faith film called Soldier of Christ and a dramedy titled Borrowing Elvis.