Barry O'Brien

Barry O'Brien (born 1957) is an American television writer and producer best known as the co-creator of Disney Channel Original Series Hannah Montana. His credits include Happy Days, Perfect Strangers, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Judging Amy, and CSI: Miami.

Life
Barry O’Brien was born in San Francisco, California, to a large Irish Catholic family. He attended Terra Linda High School, before joining Santa Clara University on a football scholarship, studying business and finance.

O’Brien’s biggest hit is Disney’s Hannah Montana, a concept he successfully pitched based on the premise of an incredibly famous teenager-with-a-double-life, an idea conceived during a tenure on Nickelodeon’s television series All That, where the (then) teenage American pop singer Britney Spears featured as a guest.

Aside from writing for television, O’Brien co-wrote Jerry Bruckheimer’s Kangaroo Jack, and two junior novels. He currently resides in Los Angeles, with his wife and two children.

Filmography

 * Happy Days (1981-1982) (writer)
 * Laverne & Shirley (1982) (writer)
 * Joanie Loves Chachi (1982) (writer)
 * The New Odd Couple (1983) (writer)
 * Silver Spoons (1984) (writer)
 * Muppet Babies (1985) (writer)
 * MoonDreamers (1986) (writer)
 * The Love Boat (1984-1986) (writer)
 * Ghostbusters (1986) (writer)
 * Blondie & Dagwood (1987) (writer)
 * Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987) (writer)
 * Beverly Hills Teens (1987) (writer, developer)
 * The Jetsons (1987) (writer)
 * Fraggle Rock (1987) (writer)
 * BraveStarr (1987) (writer)
 * Alvin and the Chipmunks (1988) (writer)
 * She's the Sheriff (1987-1989) (writer)
 * Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout (1989) (writer)
 * Perfect Strangers (1987-1993) (supervising producer, writer)
 * All-New Dennis the Menace (1993) (writer)
 * Getting By (1993-1994) (writer, co-executive producer)
 * Taz-Mania (1995) (writer)
 * Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1995-1996) (co-executive producer, writer)
 * Guys Like Us (1998) (executive producer, writer)
 * Between Brothers (1997-1999) (writer, executive producer, creator)
 * Titans (2000-2001) (co-producer, writer)
 * Gary & Mike (2001) (writer)
 * Judging Amy (2002-2005) (writer, supervising producer)
 * Kangaroo Jack (2003) (writer)
 * Drake & Josh (2004) (writer: story) (one episode; "Football")
 * CSI: Miami (2005-2012) (writer, executive producer)
 * Hannah Montana (2006-2011) (writer, creator)
 * The Einstein Factor (2007-2008) (supervising producer, writer, original concept)
 * Touch (2013) (co-executive producer, writer)
 * King & Maxwell (2013) (co-executive producer, writer)
 * Intelligence (2014) (producer, writer)
 * Dig (2015) (producer, writer)
 * The Following (2015) (producer, writer)
 * Castle (2015–16) (producer, writer)
 * Gone (2017–18) (producer, writer)
 * Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (2020) (writer)
 * Corn & Peg (2020) (writer)
 * Law & Order: Organized Crime (2022-) (head writer)

Selected works

 * Hannah Montana Bind Up #2 (Super Sneak/ Truth or Dare), with Laurie McElroy (Disney Press, 2009) (ISBN 978-1423121473)
 * Ace London, with John Worsley, Kaj Melendez, and Mirza Javed (Fleetway Publications, 1962; Cuahtemoc Publishing Ltd, 2011) (ISBN 978-0957032101)

Awards and nominations
Nominated for an Edgar Award for (the) Best Television Episode Teleplay of 2008. (CSI: Miami, You May Now Kill the Bride)