# Michael Begler

Michael Begler is an American television writer, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for co-creating Cinemax's period medical drama The Knick, and for writing the films Raising Helen (2004), The Shaggy Dog (2006) and Big Miracle (2012), all with writing partner Jack Amiel.

## Early life

Begler was born and raised in Long Island, New York. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in English.
He met his future writing partner Jack Amiel while they were in college together and both entered the university's musical-comedy contest, 'Humorology'.

## Career

After college, Begler moved to New York and worked as a PA on The Cosby Show. He and Amiel, who was working as a PA in Los Angeles, decided to write together shortly after, and Begler soon joined Amiel in Los Angeles. Their first writing job was on Fox's Herman's Head.
Begler worked consistently from that point onwards, writing - with Amiel - on a number of sitcoms, including Empty Nest, Minor Adjustments, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, The Tony Danza Show and Malcolm in the Middle.
In the mid-2000s, Begler transitioned into writing feature films, penning the scripts for the romantic comedies The Prince and Me and Garry Marshall's Raising Helen, both released in 2004. In 2006, Begler wrote Disney's The Shaggy Dog, starring Tim Allen and Robert Downey Jr.
Begler wrote 2012's Ken Kwapis-directed Big Miracle starring Drew Barrymore. Cinemax picked up Begler and Amiel's The Knick to series, after they wrote the pilot script on spec. Steven Soderbergh came on board the series as director and executive producer. Begler and Amiel served as co-showrunners and executive producers, and wrote the majority of the series' episodes. The series premiered on August 8, 2014. It was renewed for a second season of 10 episodes, airing October 2015. In April 2021, it was announced that Bagler and Amiel will serve as an executive producers and showrunners for second season of Perry Mason. Around the same time, he signed an overall deal with HBO.

## Filmography

Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | The Prince and Me | Screenplay by | |
| 2004 | Raising Helen | Screenplay by | |
| 2006 | The Shaggy Dog | Screenplay by | |
| 2007 | Hell on Earth | Written by | TV movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2012 | Big Miracle | Screenplay by | |
Production staff
| Year | Show | Role |
| 1996 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Co-producer |
| 1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Co-producer |
| 1997 | The Tony Danza Show | Producer |
| 1998 | The Tony Danza Show | Producer |
| 2014 | The Knick | Executive Producer, Co-creator |
| 2015 | The Knick | Executive Producer, Co-creator |
| 2020 | Perry Mason | Executive Producer, Co-Showrunner (Season 2) |
Writer
| Year | Show | Season | Episode title | Episode |
| 1994 | Herman's Head | 3 | "The Herm from Ipanema" | 17 |
| 1995 | Empty Nest | 7 | "The Ex-Files" | 19 |
| 1996 | Minor Adjustments | 1 | "Ask Dr. Ron" | 9 |
| 1996 | Minor Adjustments | 1 | "Baba-Doo-Wang" | 14 |
| 1996 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | 2 | "The Poor Sportsmen of the Apocalypse" | 3 |
| 1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | 2 | "Feud for Thought" | 11 |
| 1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | 2 | "Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks" | 12 |
| 1998 | The Wonderful World of Disney | 1 | "Disneys Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure" | 27 |
| 1998 | The Tony Danza Show | 1 | "C'gar Face" | 6 |
| 1998 | The Tony Danza Show | 1 | "Vision Quest" | 14 |
| 2000 | Malcolm in the Middle | 1 | "Lois vs. Evil" | 9 |
| 2002 | Greetings from Tucson | 1 | "My Two Padres" | 2 |
| 2003 | Greetings from Tucson | 1 | "Ball and Chain" | 10 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Method and Madness | 1 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Mr. Paris Shoes" | 2 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "The Busy Flea" | 3 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Where's the Dignity" | 4 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Start Calling Me Dad" | 6 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Get the Rope" | 7 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Working Late a Lot" | 8 |
| 2014 | The Knick | 1 | "Crutchfield" | 10 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "Ten Knots" | 1 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "You're No Rose" | 2 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "The Best with the Best to Get the Best" | 3 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "Wonderful Surprises" | 4 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "Williams and Walker" | 7 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "Do You Remember Moon Flower?" | 9 |
| 2015 | The Knick | 2 | "This Is All We Are" | 10 |
| 2023 | Perry Mason | 2 | | 1 |