# Kerry Ehrin

Kerry Anne Ehrin (born October 8, 1960) is an American screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. The first writer with whom Apple TV+ signed an overall deal, Kerry Ehrin developed and ran the first two seasons of the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, which led the streaming service's launch. Ehrin was also the co-creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner of the Emmy-nominated and critically acclaimed A&E drama series Bates Motel which featured Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore in the iconic roles of Norma and Norman Bates, and aired for five seasons on A&E. Prior to that, she was a writer and producer on Friday Night Lights and Parenthood and has received numerous Emmy and WGA nominations, as well as four AFI Awards.

## Personal life

Ehrin was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the Woodland Hills neighborhood with her sister, Mary. She was educated at Agoura High School, from which she graduated in 1978. Ehrin studied literature, specializing in playwriting, at the University of California, Los Angeles, and wrote her thesis on the work of Lewis Carroll.
She resides in Hidden Hills, California, with her three children, daughter Shane and twin sons Alex and Nicky. The children's father is Mr. Wrong co-writer, Craig Munson.

## Career
### Beginnings (1989–2005)

In 1989, Ehrin began her career as a writer and co-producer on the ABC comedy-drama mystery series Moonlighting and the ABC comedy-drama series The Wonder Years. For the latter, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1990. She next served as a consulting producer and writer on the Fox drama series Boston Public from 2003 to 2004, and on the ABC legal drama series Boston Legal from 2004 to 2005.
Ehrin also co-wrote the screenplays of the 1996 comedy film Mr. Wrong and the 1999 action adventure film Inspector Gadget.

### Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

Ehrin was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: New Series at the 2007 ceremony, for her work as a consulting producer and writer on the first season of Friday Night Lights. She was subsequently nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series for three consecutive years: at the 2008 ceremony, the 2009 ceremony, and at the 2010 ceremony. She was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2011.

### Parenthood (2011–2012)

From 2011 to 2012, Ehrin served as a co-executive producer and writer on the NBC drama series Parenthood.

### Bates Motel (2013–2017)

Ehrin, alongside Carlton Cuse and Anthony Cipriano, developed the Psycho contemporary prequel series Bates Motel for the American cable network A&E. The series began airing in March 2013 and concluded its run in April 2017. Ehrin served as showrunner, lead writer, and an executive producer for the series. In 2014, she was nominated for Best Drama Series Produced by a Woman at the Women's Image Network Awards for her work on the series.

### The Morning Show (2019-2022)

In November 2017, Apple ordered two seasons of the comedy-drama series The Morning Show, which stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Ehrin served as showrunner and executive producer alongside Aniston, Witherspoon, Michael Ellenberg, Mimi Leder, Lauren Levy Neustadter and Kristin Hahn. Ehrin also signed a multi-year deal with Apple to produce original content.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Functioned as | Functioned as | Functioned as | Writing credits |
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Showrunner | Writing credits |
| 1984 | Fame | Yes | | | Episode: "Appearances" |
| 1985 | M.A.S.K. | Yes | | | |
| 1985 | The Jetsons | Yes | | | Episode: "Little Bundle of Trouble" |
| 1985 | Growing Pains | Yes | | | Episode: "Dirt Bike" |
| 1987 | Newhart | Yes | | | Episode: "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To" |
| 1985–1989 | Moonlighting | Yes | | | 13 episodes |
| 1989–1990 | The Wonder Years | Yes | Co-producer | | Episode: "She, My Friend and I" |
| 1994 | Taz-Mania | Yes | | | Episode: "Road to Tazmania" |
| 1996 | Mr. Wrong | Yes | | | |
| 1999 | Inspector Gadget | Yes | | | |
| 1999 | Cold Feet | Yes | Executive producer | Yes | 4 episodes |
| 2000 | Young Americans | Yes | | | Episode: "Kiss and Tell" |
| 2003–2004 | Boston Public | Yes | Consulting producer | | 6 episodes |
| 2004–2005 | Boston Legal | Yes | Consulting producer | | Episode: "Still Crazy After All These Years" |
| 2006–2011 | Friday Night Lights | Yes | Consulting producer | | 12 episodes |
| 2007 | Bionic Woman | Yes | | | Episode: "Trust Issues" |
| 2010–2012 | Parenthood | Yes | Co-executive producer | | 7 episodes |
| 2013–2017 | Bates Motel | Yes | Executive producer | Yes | 23 episodes |
| 2018 | Rise | Yes | Consulting producer | | Episode: "What Flowers May Bloom" |
| 2019-2022 | The Morning Show | Yes | Yes | Yes | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Work | Result |
| 1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series | The Wonder Years | Nominated |
| 2007 | Writers Guild of America Award for Television: New Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2008 | Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2009 | Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2010 | Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2011 | Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2011 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2011 | Online Film and Television Association Award for Best Writing in a Drama Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated |
| 2012 | Humanitas Prize for Best 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television | Parenthood | Nominated |
| 2014 | Women's Image Network Award for Best Drama Series Produced by a Woman | Bates Motel | Nominated |
| 2020 | Golden Globe Award: Best Television Series, Drama | The Morning Show | Nominated |
| 2020 | Television Critics' Association Awards: Outstanding New Program | The Morning Show | Nominated |
| 2022 | Golden Globe Awards: Best Television Series, Drama | The Morning Show | Nominated |
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards: Best Streaming Series, Drama | The Morning Show | Nominated |
| 2022 | Writers Guild of America Awards: Dramatic Series | The Morning Show | Nominated |
| 2022 | Writers Guild of America Awards: Episodic Drama, Kerry Ehrin & Scott Troy (for "La Amara Vita") | The Morning Show | Nominated |