Rob Thomas (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rob Thomas
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Thomas at WonderCon in 2015
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| Born | Robert James Thomas August 15, 1965 Sunnyside, Washington, U.S. |
| Pen name | Everett Owens |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, director, producer, author |
| Period | 1996–present |
| Notable works | Veronica Mars iZombie |
Robert James Thomas, born on August 15, 1965, is an American writer, producer, and director. He is famous for creating popular TV shows. These include Veronica Mars, which aired from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2019. He also helped create 90210 (2008–2013) and Party Down (2009–2010, 2023). Another one of his well-known shows is iZombie, which ran from 2015 to 2019.
Early Life and Education
Growing Up and School Days
Rob Thomas was born in Sunnyside, Washington. He finished high school in San Marcos, Texas, in 1983. After that, he went to Texas Christian University (TCU). He attended TCU on a scholarship for American football.
College Football and Studies
In 1984, Thomas played 11 games for the TCU Horned Frogs football team. He was a backup player in positions like tight end. He later moved to the University of Texas at Austin. In 1987, he earned a bachelor's degree in history from their College of Liberal Arts.
Before TV: Teaching and Music
Before he started writing books for young adults, Thomas taught high school journalism. He taught at schools in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. During this time, he also helped with the student magazine at the University of Texas at Austin. From 1993 to 1995, Thomas worked for Channel One News. This experience later inspired his 1998 novel, Satellite Down. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he was also part of three bands in San Marcos, Texas.
Becoming a TV Creator
First Steps in Television
Rob Thomas's first job writing for TV was in 1996. He wrote an episode for Cartoon Network's Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Next, he wrote a script that became the 1999 movie Fortune Cookie. Because of this script, he got a job writing for the TV show Dawson's Creek.
Creating His Own Shows
After reading his script, a president at Sony Entertainment suggested Thomas create a romantic comedy show. This idea turned into Cupid, a TV series that started in 1998. It was praised by critics but ended after 15 episodes in 1999. Thomas also worked on other shows, but some did not air or he left due to creative differences. He also helped write the movie Drive Me Crazy.
The Success of Veronica Mars
In 2004, Thomas got his second TV show picked up. This was Veronica Mars. It was very popular with critics but struggled to find a large audience. The show ran for three seasons until 2007. In 2006, he was offered a job to run the show Friday Night Lights. However, he chose to focus on the chance of a fourth season for Veronica Mars.
More TV Projects
From 2007 to 2008, Thomas worked as a writer on the show Big Shots. He also helped create and film the comedy pilot Party Down. This show aired on Starz in 2009 and ran for two seasons. He also worked on a new version of Cupid for ABC. In 2008, he helped develop a modern version of Beverly Hills, 90210 called 90210 for The CW network.
Challenges and New Ideas
Thomas continued to develop many TV shows. Some of these ideas, like Temp and Little in Common, were not picked up by networks. He also worked on a drama pilot for Showtime. Even though some projects didn't go forward, he kept creating new stories.
Bringing Veronica Mars Back
In 2009, Thomas started talking about making a Veronica Mars movie. He got permission from Warner Brothers to make the film if he could raise more than $2 million. On March 13, 2013, he launched a Kickstarter page to ask fans for money. On the very first day, the project raised over $2 million! The Kickstarter campaign eventually raised $5.7 million. It set a record for the most people contributing funds, with 88,000 backers.
The movie, Veronica Mars, was directed and co-written by Thomas. It came out in March 2014 and received good reviews. After the movie, Thomas also co-wrote two Veronica Mars novels. These books continued the story after the film's events.
Creating iZombie and Other Shows
In 2013, The CW network picked up a pilot based on the comic book iZOMBIE. Thomas produced this show with Diane Ruggiero-Wright. The first season of iZombie began airing on March 17, 2015. The show ran until 2019. In 2016, he announced he was working on a TV series based on the 1987 movie The Lost Boys for The CW. His idea was for the show to have seven seasons, each covering a different decade in the lives of vampires. In 2024, he also worked as a writer and executive producer for the show High Potential.
Works by Rob Thomas
Books Written
- Rats Saw God (1996)
- Slave Day (1997)
- Doing Time: Notes from the Undergrad (1997)
- Satellite Down (1998)
- Green Thumb (1999)
- Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (2014)
- Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell (2015)
Television Shows Created or Written
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1996) (writer)
- Dawson's Creek (1998) (writer)
- Cupid (1998–1999) (creator, writer, executive producer)
- Veronica Mars (2004–2007, 2019) (creator, writer, executive producer, director)
- 90210 (2008) (developer, writer)
- Party Down (2009–2010, 2023) (creator, writer, executive producer)
- Cupid (2009) (creator, writer, executive producer)
- iZombie (2015–2019) (creator, writer, executive producer, director)
- High Potential (2024) (writer, executive producer)
Films Written or Directed
- Fortune Cookie (1999) (writer)
- Drive Me Crazy (1999) (screenwriter)
- Veronica Mars (2014) (writer, director)
Awards and Nominations
Rob Thomas has been nominated for several Golden Satellite Awards for his work.
