Daniel Knauf

Daniel Knauf, sometimes credited under the pseudonyms Wilfred Schmidt and Chris Neal, is an American television screenwriter and producer, as well as comic book writer, best known for his creation of the 2003 HBO series Carnivàle.

Early life Born and raised in Los Angeles, Knauf attended several colleges in Southern California studying fine art, and later graduated from the California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree in English in 1982. He began work as an employee benefits consultant and later a health insurance broker, writing once he was able to support himself and his family financially. was 180 pages long and twice the length of the average feature film. Convinced the screenplay could not work as either a standard television series or a film, he put it aside, planning to one day adapt it into a novel. and, during a low-point in his screenwriting career, created his own website, posting his resume and Carnivàle s first act online. In 2008 they wrote a nine-issue The Eternals series.

In July 2008, he and Charles had completed and submitted a four-hour TV-movie script for Syfy. It was ordered as a four-hour miniseries (in two parts), meant as a backdoor pilot for the network. Produced by Muse Entertainment and RHI Entertainment, with Paolo Barzman directing. Ultimately the network did not option it as a series.

He was a consulting producer for the latter part of the first season of historical action drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Knauf wrote two episodes for the first season. Knauf co-wrote with Andrea Berloff and Caleb Pinkett the script for a mystery thriller, The Legend of Cain, but it has not been produced.

Knauf was the writer and showrunner of the short-lived NBC series Dracula, before joining the staff of The Blacklist with the beginning of season two. In 2020, he created the Nickelodeon series The Astronauts.

Filmography

Films Year Title Credit Notes 2012 Bxx: Haunted Writer & executive producer 2002 Dark Descent Writer & director as Wilfred Schmidt

Television Year Title Credit Notes 2020–2021 The Astronauts Creator, writer & executive producer 9 episodes 2014–2017 The Blacklist Writer & co-executive/executive producer 59 episodes 2013–2014 Dracula Writer & executive producer 2010 Spartacus: Blood and Sand Writer & consulting producer 6 episodes 2009 The Phantom Writer 2 episodes2008 My Own Worst Enemy Writer & co-executive producer 6 episodes Fear Itself Writer Family Man (#1.3) 2006–2007 Standoff Writer, Consulting Producer & co-executive producer 11 episodes 2006 Supernatural Writer Something Wicked (#1.18) 2003–2005 Carnivàle Creator, writer & executive producer 24 episodes 2001–2002 Wolf Lake Writer & consulting producer 7 episodes 2001 Honey Vicarro Writer & executive producer TV movie 1994 Blind Justice Writer