Nell Scovell facts for kids

Helen Vivian "Nell" Scovell is an American television and magazine writer, and producer. She is the creator of the television series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which aired on ABC and The WB from 1996 until 2003 and co-author of the book Lean In.

Early life and education

Nell Scovell, the middle of five children, grew up in a Jewish family outside of Newton, Massachusetts. Her father, Melvin E. Scovell, is chairman of the board of Scovell & Schwager, a health-care management company in Boston. In high school at Newton South High School, she was the manager of the boys' track team. Scovell attended Harvard University, where she spent her time reporting and editing sports stories for The Harvard Crimson. In her senior year at Harvard, she wrote for the sports desk of the Boston Globe. She graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 1982.

Career

After graduation, she moved to New York and was the first staff writer hired by Spy magazine in 1986. Tina Brown recruited her to work at Vanity Fair, where she contributed quirky visual features about money and culture. Scovell later ran into an old Spy editor, who recommended she write for television.

Scovell wrote a spec script for It's Garry Shandling's Show, which was bought. After serving as story editor for the final season of Newhart, she worked on Late Night with David Letterman.

As a television writer, Scovell wrote the season two episode of The Simpsons, "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"; she also wrote the season 32 episode "Sorry Not Sorry". She was one of the first women to write an episode of The Simpsons. Other TV writing credits include The Wilton North Report, Coach, Monk, Murphy Brown, Charmed, Newhart, The Critic, NCIS, and many others. She also wrote the season two episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, "Urges".

Scovell has directed two television films: Hayley Wagner, Star for Showtime, and It Was One of Us for Lifetime.

Outside of television, Scovell is a former contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and has written for Vogue, Rolling Stone, Self, Tatler, and The New York Times Magazine. She currently blogs for Vanity Fair's web site.

In 2019, Scovell joined other WGA members in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging.

Books

Scovell co-wrote Sheryl Sandberg's 2013 book Lean In.

In 2018, Scovell's book Just the Funny Parts: ... And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys' Club was published with a foreword by Sheryl Sandberg.

Personal life

Briefly married to Tom Tisch, Scovell is currently married to Colin Summers, an architect. They have two sons. Her sister is Claire Scovell LaZebnik, who is married to Rob LaZebnik, whose brothers Philip LaZebnik and Ken LaZebnik are both screenwriters.

Comedian/magician Penn Jillette called her "one of the funniest people alive" in an interview with The A.V. Club.

See also

In Spanish: Nell Scovell para niños