David Jablin
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David Jablin is a critically acclaimed, award-winning producer & director who played a pivotal role in the creation of original programming for Pay-Cable. In 1981 he created and produced the innovative comedy anthology series Likely Stories for HBO/Cinemax, which featured the directing debuts of Rob Reiner, Danny DeVito, Christopher Guest, and Billy Crystal.
Peter Chernin, then head of programming for Showtime, contacted Jablin to discuss future projects. This began Jablin’s long-term association with the network, where he continued to produce and direct unique comedy films and specials that achieved both critical and ratings successes for the premium channel.
He conceived the story for and produced the network’s very first original film, The Ratings Game, which starred Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. The critically acclaimed project marked DeVito’s feature length directing debut, as well as garnering a WGA Award for Best Original TV Comedy Movie, and an International TV Movie Festival Award for Best Comedy.
Public Enemy #2 was nominated for 4 CableACE Awards, including Best Director for Jablin. The film won a Golden Eagle Award, and was selected by Time Magazine as one of the Ten Best of TV for the year--the only cable production to make that year's distinguished list.
Larry Gelbart’s Mastergate was nominated for a CableACE Award, a Casting Society of America Award, and was named the Best Television Movie of 1993 by Entertainment Weekly.
Jablin produced and directed the timely satire, That Time Of The Month, (AKA Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's) a stinging parody of network news magazine shows. It was nominated for 3 CableACE Awards including Best Director for Jablin.
After this string of satirical successes, Showtime signed an exclusive deal with Jablin to Executive Produce a series of original National Lampoon movies for the network. The series was praised by critics for returning the Lampoon to its former hey-day of biting humor and cutting edge satire. National Lampoon’s Attack of the 5 Foot 2" Women drew the network’s highest ratings for a made-for-film to that date. It starred Julie Brown in a musical send-up of Tonya Harding and Lorena Bobbitt’s debutante debacles. Attack was nominated for 2 CableACE awards. He also produced National Lampoon’s Favorite Deadly Sins, which stars Denis Leary and Joe Mantegna. The production was nominated for 2 CableACE Awards and won for Best Director.
Jablin both produced and directed the irreverent mob-comedy The Don's Analyst, which stars Kevin Pollak, Robert Loggia, Joe Bologna, Sherilyn Fenn, and Angie Dickinson. The film proceeded the similarly themed Analyze This & "The Sopranos" by over a year.
Jablin is also currently developing several comedy features. He is attached to produce and direct the independent film Power Failure. The screenplay, by Larry Gelbart, is based on his Broadway play. Also attched to the ensemble comedy are Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Dreyfuss, and Whoopi Goldberg.
The satirical comedy High Alert is now set up at MGM and is based on Jablin’s original story. Jablin produces along with Norman Jewison. Jewison is slated to direct. The project is a modern-day take on Jewison's cold-war classic, "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming."
