(written from a Production point of view)
Jonathan Glassner is a writer, producer and director for American television. He pitched the original story for the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Faces". He is perhaps best known, however, as the co-developer, executive producer and later executive consultant of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Stargate SG-1.
Glassner first gained recognition as a writer for his work on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in the late 1980s. He became a writer and executive story editor on Friday's Nightmares, then writer and producer on the hit Johnny Depp series, 21 Jump Street. He then moved on to write for and executive produce the syndicated series Street Justice. It was on this series that Glassner made his directorial debut, with an episode guest starring Roger Cross entitled "The Long Way Home."
In 1994, Glassner helped to develop a revival of The Outer Limits for MGM Television and Showtime. The series, based on the 1960s program of the same name, was hosted by Kevin Conway. Glassner remained on the series as writer, co-executive producer, creative consultant and director until 1997, as he had begun working on Stargate SG-1.
Glassner approached MGM with the idea for a TV series based on the 1994 film Stargate into a series around the same time as fellow writer/producer Brad Wright did the same. MGM had the two develop the series together. Stargate SG-1 premiered on Showtime in July 1997 and continued on the Sci-Fi Channel for its last five seasons. Glassner worked on the series as Executive Producer, writer, and occasional director during its first three seasons, leaving in 2000 to work on another Sci-Fi Channel series, the short-lived Invisible Man. However, he continued to serve as Executive Consultant on SG-1 until the show's end in 2007.
When The Invisible Man ended in 2001, Glassner moved on to write for and executive produce the science fiction series Odyssey 5. Also executive producing this series were creator Manny Coto and Tracy Tormé; the series starred Peter Weller. With this show's demise in 2003, Glassner became a writer, director and consulting producer on the popular CBS series CSI: NY. He also co-executive produced NBC's Heist and FOX's Standoff.
As a director, it was Glassner who cast Paul McGillion in his first Stargate role, in the SG-1 episode "The Torment of Tantalus". McGillion ultimately became famous for his role as Dr. Carson Beckett in SG-1's spin-off series, Stargate: Atlantis. Glassner also directed Star Trek: Enterprise star John Billingsley in a 2007 episode of Standoff. Other Star Trek performers Glassner has worked with as a director include Erich Anderson, Ivar Brogger, Bill Cobbs, Alexander Enberg, Robert Foxworth, Robert Joy, Carlos LaCamara, Scott Lawrence, John Carroll Lynch, James MacDonald, and Marnie McPhail.
Although he works predominantly for television, Glassner also has a few film credits. He was a story editor on the popular 1989 family movie The Wizard, starring Christian Slater. He also wrote the 1992 horror-thriller Mikey, starring Brian Bonsall in the title role.
