Jerry Offsay

Jerry Offsay is an American film and television executive and executive producer. He served as president of programming for Showtime Networks from 1994 to 2003, when he established Parkchester Pictures, his own production company.

Early life and education Jerry Offsay grew up in Parkchester, a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. His father worked at a small display-design company, where his mother was the company bookkeeper. Offsay was the third of four children.

Career Law After graduating from law school, Offsay began his career at the Los Angeles office of Loeb & Loeb. He worked in the firm’s entertainment law practice, finding his specialty in the financing and production of independent films. He was made partner at age 28.

Film and television Looking for a change from the law, Offsay joined RKO Pictures as president of production. At RKO, Offsay served as executive producer on several films including Hamburger Hill and Eight Men Out, and co–produced Narrow Margin. In 1990 Offsay became Executive Vice President at ABC Productions, ABC’s newly launched programming company. During his four years at ABC, Offsay supervised the production of the ABCP's programming, including series, miniseries, and movies such as The Commish, and Dominick Dunne's An Inconvenient Woman, and Neil Simon's Broadway Bound.

In January 1994 Offsay began his new role as president of programming at Showtime Networks. He saw an opportunity to bring theater-quality movies to premium television—just as HBO was doing, who at the time released new films monthly. Offsay embarked on a journey to put on an original movie every week. and has testified approximately a dozen times on behalf of several major studios, production companies, independent producers and distribution companies.

Recognition and awards In 2001 Offsay won the Governors Award from the Television Academy for Showtime's diversity programming. That year he was also honored at the ACLU's annual Bill of Rights Awards for introducing topics and issues to the mainstream through Showtime's programming.

In 2002 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jewish Image Awards in Film and Television. That same year the Professional Organization of Women in Entertainment Reaching Up awarded the Premier Award to Offsay for Showtime's commitment to providing access to quality work that might otherwise go unseen.

In 2003, he was awarded the Executive of the Year Award by the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers, and Directors. During Offsay's tenure at Showtime, the network was awarded six Humanitas Prizes and four Peabody Awards and won eight Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Children's Special category in seven consecutive years.

Personal life Offsay and his wife, Pam, supported the development of Offsay Steinhauser Village, a 15-unit L.A. Family Housing affordable housing complex in the Valley Glen neighborhood of Los Angeles. For over 20 years they hosted—originally at Offsay's home but soon expanded to Paramount Studios—an annual "Dessert Party" which raised funds for L.A. Family Housing’s Valley Shelter for the Homeless.

Programming and film awards

Filmography