Dan Erickson
{{Short description|American screenwriter}}
{{About|the screenwriter|the fictional Saw character|List of Saw characters#Dan Erickson}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dan Erickson
| image = Dan Erickson.jpg
| birth_name = Daniel Earling Erickson
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|01|26}}
| birth_place = Olympia, Washington, U.S.
| occupation = {{hlist|Television screenwriter|producer|showrunner}}
| alma_mater = Western Washington University (BA)
NYU Tisch School of the Arts (MFA)
| years active = 2004-present
}}
Daniel Earling Erickson (born January 26, 1984) is an American television screenwriter, showrunner, and producer. He is best known for creating the psychological thriller television series Severance, which premiered on the Apple TV+ streaming service in February 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-18 |title=Olympia screenwriter Dan Erickson on 'Severance' and its long journey to Apple TV+ |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/olympia-screenwriter-dan-erickson-on-severance-and-its-long-journey-to-apple-tv/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Maas |first=Jennifer |date=2022-06-19 |title=The Insidious, Cryptic World of 'Severance': How Ben Stiller, Adam Scott and More Brought 'Strange Humor' to Apple's Workplace Thriller |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/severance-ben-stiller-adam-scott-apple-lumon-bell-labs-building-1235172224/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Francisco |first=Eric |title='Severance' is the sci-fi thriller every office worker needs — here's why |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/severance-apple-tv-plus-interview-dan-erickson-ben-stiller-adam-scott |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=Inverse |date=24 February 2022 |language=en}}
Life and career
Erickson is from Olympia, Washington. His parents are Mark and Lynn Erickson, a lawyer and a teacher, respectively. He is a middle child, with an older brother named Matt and a younger sister named Hayley.{{Cite web |title=DAN ERICKSON – Heroes and Villains |url=https://heroesandvillains-ent.com/clients/dan-erickson/ |access-date=2022-08-22 |language=en-US}} Erickson has stated that he is very close with both siblings, and that they inspired characters on Severance.{{Citation |title=2022 HCA TV Awards Full Ceremony: Streaming Platforms - Night 2 of Television's Big Celebration | date=14 August 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yqhAEUbbzo |language=en |access-date=2022-08-22}}
Erickson attended Western Washington University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in English, and subsequently graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Writing for Television.{{Cite web |title=Olympia-Born Screenwriter Nabs Emmy Nod |date=12 July 2022 |url=https://www.southsoundmag.com/arts-entertainment/olympia-born-screenwriter-nabs-emmy-nod/article_1433cff6-0215-11ed-bca8-0fa45a8240b7.html}}{{Cite web |title=TISCH ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DAN ERICKSON '10 AND THE 10 YEAR JOURNEY TO CREATING 'SEVERANCE' ON APPLE TV+ |url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/alumni/alumni-news/tisch-alumni-spotlight--dan-erickson-10-and-the-10-year-journey-.html}}
He wrote for Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle Pre-Show and worked in series development for the now-defunct entertainment company Super Deluxe.{{Cite web |last=Piazza |first=Bianca |date=2022-03-28 |title= Dan Erickson Is the Imaginative Creator and Writer of Sci-Fi Series 'Severance' — Let's Explore His Work |url=https://www.distractify.com/p/dan-erickson-severance |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Distractify |language=en-US}}
In 2016, Erickson's pilot script for Severance was recognized by the Blood List.{{Cite web |last=Colangelo |first=B. J. |date=2022-07-21 |title=Severance Has Been In The Making For A Very Long Time [Comic-Con] |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/936683/severance-has-been-in-the-making-for-a-very-long-time-comic-con/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=SlashFilm.com |language=en-US}} He later submitted the script as a writing sample to Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Productions, and Stiller produced the project.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=Adam Scott Goes Back to Work |url=https://www.gq.com/story/adam-scott-severance-apple-tv-plus-party-down-revival-interview |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=GQ |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Lane |first=Carly |date=2022-02-18 |title='Severance': Ben Stiller and Adam Scott on the Long Road to Making the Apple TV+ Thriller Series |url=https://collider.com/severance-tv-show-ben-stiller-adam-scott-interview/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=Collider |language=en-US}} In 2019, Apple TV+ picked up Severance for a straight-to-series order with Endeavor Content serving as co-financer and producer.{{Cite web |last=Ausiello |first=Michael |date=2019-11-08 |title=Adam Scott 'Workplace Thriller' Severance Snags Apple TV+ Series Order; Ben Stiller to EP and Direct |url=https://tvline.com/2019/11/08/adam-scott-severance-apple-tv-plus-series/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}} Season 1 of Severance premiered on February 18, 2022, on Apple's streaming service to acclaim.{{Cite web |last=Travers |first=Ben |date=2022-02-16 |title='Severance' Review: Ben Stiller Directs a Brilliant Corporate Conspiracy Thriller That's All Too Real |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/02/severance-review-ben-stiller-apple-tv-show-amazing-1234699524/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=IndieWire |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |title=Adam Scott Leads Brilliantly Original Workplace Drama Severance |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/severance-tv-review-2022 |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=RogerEbert|date=17 February 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Fienberg |first=Daniel |date=2022-02-16 |title=Apple TV+'s 'Severance': TV Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/severance-adam-scott-patricia-arquette-1235094526/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title='Severance' Apple TV Plus Review: Stream It Or Skip It? |url=https://decider.com/2022/02/18/severance-apple-tv-plus-stream-it-or-skip-it/ |website=Decider|date=18 February 2022 |access-date=2022-02-27 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Samantha |date=2022-02-18 |title=Severance Premiere Review - "Good News About Hell" and "Half Loop" |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/severance-premiere-review-apple-tv-plus |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=IGN |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Poniewozik |first=James |date=2022-02-17 |title='Severance' Review: That Makes Two of You |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/17/arts/television/severance-review.html |access-date=2022-02-27 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Sophie |date=2022-02-25 |title=When Work Is a Terrifying Dystopia |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/02/severance-makes-workplace-eerily-dystopian/622883/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}} Season 2 premiered on January 17, 2025. It also received acclaim, with an initial score of 100% on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes based on 43 critic reviews.{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/severance-season-2-rotten-tomatoes-score/|title='Severance' Season 2 Lands Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score Ahead of Premiere|first=Erick|last=Massoto|date=January 7, 2025|website=Collider}}
In September 2022, Erickson was included in the Time 100 Next list, which features "100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership".{{Cite magazine |title=Meet the 2022 TIME100 Next |url=https://time.com/collection/time100-next-2022/ |access-date=2022-09-29 |magazine=Time |language=en}} He and the writers of Severance won twice at the 2023 Writers Guild of America Awards, winning Best New Series and Best Drama Series.{{Cite web |title=Yahoo.com |date=6 March 2023 |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/writers-guild-america-awards-winners-011705893.html}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Writer !Producer !Notes |
| 2011
|League of Wonder |{{Yes}} |{{No}} |Short film |
| 2016–2018
|Lip Sync Battle Preshow |{{Yes}} |{{No}} | |
| 2022–present
|{{Yes}} |{{Yes}} |Creator, wrote 7 episodes, executive producer |
Awards and honors
=Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year
! scope="col"| Nominated work ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col"| {{Refh}} |
|---|
| 2022
| Severance {{small|(for "The We We Are")}} | Best Writing in a Streaming Series | {{won}} |
=Primetime Emmy Awards=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year
! scope="col"| Nominated work ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col"| {{Refh}} |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;", rowspan="2"| 2023
| style="text-align:center;", rowspan="2"| Severance | {{nom}} | style="text-align:center;", rowspan="2" | {{cite web|title=74th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List|url=https://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/74th-nomination-list-v1_0.pdf?q=1|website=Hollywood Critics Association|accessdate=12 July 2022|date=12 July 2022}} |
| Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (for “The We We Are”)
| {{nom}} |
=Peabody Award=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Nominee(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Ref heading}} |
|---|
| 2022
|Entertainment | style="text-align:center;" | Severance |{{won}} | style="text-align:center;" | {{Cite web |last=Voyles |first=Blake |date=September 19, 2023 |title=83rd Peabody Award Winners |url=https://peabodyawards.com/awards/winners/ |accessdate=September 19, 2023}} |
=Writers Guild of America Award=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year
! scope="col"| Nominated work ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col"| {{Refh}} |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;", rowspan="2"| 2023
|rowspan="2"| Severance | {{won}} | style="text-align:center;", rowspan="2" | {{cite web|last1=Schneider|first1=Michael|last2=Maas|first2=Jennifer|title='Shogun,' 'Hacks,' 'Anora,' 'Nickel Boys' Land Top Honors at Writers Guild Awards 2025 (Full Winners List)|url=https://variety.com/2025/film/awards/writers-guild-wga-awards-2025-winners-list-1236309307/|date=February 15, 2025|access-date=February 17, 2025|website=Variety}} |
| Best New Series
| {{won}} |
References
{{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erickson, Dan}}
Category:American male television writers
Category:American television writers
Category:People from Olympia, Washington
Category:21st-century American screenwriters