Before she wrote Who Needs Paris? Joan Meyerson had an extensive, award-winning career as a writer, producer, and director of television documentaries and programs.
One of her first Associate Producer credits was for the Academy Award-nominated Say Goodbye. She was honored with two Writers Guild of America Awards (nominated for a third), a Cine Golden Eagle, Chris Plaque (Columbus Film Festival), and Blue Ribbon (American Film and Video Festival).
Born in Los Angeles, Meyerson graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She also studied at the University of Mexico and the Sorbonne in Paris. Why she left Paris, she has yet to understand, but she had already been accepted into Berkeleys' Graduate School of History.
She came home for the summer and lucked into a job as an Associate Producer on a Talk Show. It was exciting, dramatic. At the end of the summer, she applied for an honorary leave of absence from Berkeley.
She has yet to return.
Her love of documentaries, television, and writing began at the now legendary David Wolper Productions. Among her many Wolper credits were the Academy Award-nominated Say Goodbye,The Explorers, Big Cats, Little Cats, and the series,Legends, Icons & Superstars of the 20th Century.
Meyerson went on to develop an extensive and varied background as a television writer:
Children’s programming: CBS pilot, animation and live-action shows, interactive game programs.
TV Series: ZooLife with Jack Hanna, The Hunt for Amazing Treasures, Things That Go Bump.
PBS: Michiyo and Kelly: A Quest for Education, Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire (IDA best-limited series nomination), Walking the Bible: miniseries based on the NY Times best-seller, The National Memorial Day Concert.
Her work has taken her on location throughout the U.S. and to Japan, Iwo Jima, Vietnam, Mexico,Guatemala, England, and the Netherlands. Turning the tables, she also produced programs on California for French Television.
Meyerson is well-known in the entertainment industry world:
-- Former board member of Women in Film and the International Documentary Association.
-- Member, Directors Guild of America
-- Member, Writers Guild of America; five terms Board of Directors, nominated for President of the Guild.
-- Guest lecturer on the art and craft of writing documentaries. Moderated numerous panels representing the Writers Guild, Writers Guild Foundation, and the International Documentary Association at seminars, conferences and festivals. Married to attorney Mark Meyerson, formerly Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs, at Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, they live in Valley Village with their miniature Schnauzer, Jazz.