"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'awww!' "
-- Jack Kerouac
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Who • View Reel • View Photos
Mark Finkelpearl is a non-fiction television development & production executive, show runner, and director with a background on the staffs of Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, TLC, and National Geographic Television. He’s contributed in his career to more than 800 hours of television.
Finkelpearl started working in 1986 in the National Programming department of WQED/Pittsburgh. He moved to Hollywood and freelanced there, contributing to TV on networks including PBS, FOX, A&E, USA Network, & Discovery Channel.
He was recruited by Korn/Ferry International to join National Geographic Television in their Washington, DC, headquarters and served as a supervising producer on the long-running "Explorer" series. In 1999, Finkelpearl joined Travel Channel where he was an executive producer and director of production for five years, helping to propel the network from 25 million homes in the USA to 75 million and overseeing hundreds of hours of television. At Travel Channel, he was on the team that launched shows like "World Poker Tour," "Travel Channel’s World’s Best," and "John Ratzenberger’s Made In America."
Finkelpearl joined Discovery Channel as an executive producer in 2004 and was responsible there for the editorial and creative direction of millions upon millions of dollars worth of TV. He was the network’s production executive in charge of shows like "American Chopper," "American HotRod," & "American Casino."
In 2006, Finkelpearl jumped back to the indie production side of the desk and created and launched shows like "Car Czar" for National Geographic Channel and "Lock and Load with R. Lee Ermey" for History. He executive produced series like "The Lottery Changed My Life" for TLC and made programming for clients like HGTV & planetgreen.
At the end of 2009, Finkelpearl created, developed, and sold "DC Cupcakes" to TLC. The shows 23 episodes so far have made Washington’s Georgetown Cupcake shop a regular stop on Grey Line bus tours of the nation’s capitol.
Finkelpearl’s most recent television creations include "Snipers, Inc" for National Geographic Channel, a program about a family of American arms dealers based outside of Nashville.
He’s a member of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences (ATAS), the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and holds a seat on the board of directors of CINE.
Finkelpearl comes from a family with a footprint in showbiz. His cousins include brother comedians, Seth & Josh Meyers ("Saturday Night Live," "That 70’s Show," "MadTV"), Emmy-award winning Hollywood editor, Debra Light, and Leo Robin, the American songwriter who penned, among other classics, "Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend," "Blue Hawaii," and "Thanks for the Memory."
Finkelpearl is repped by Adam Leibner at N.S. Bienstock/New York City.
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Broadcast
Mark Finkelpearl develops, sells, and executive produces shows for clients up and down the television dial.
He’s been in the documentary and non-fiction world for 23 years and has contributed to programming on Discovery Channel, TLC, TBS, Travel Channel, planetgreen, National Geographic Channel, HGTV, USA Network, FOX, History, A&E, Lifetime, and PBS.
Finkelpearl’s commercial work places as much emphasis on components like ad sales integration needs, marketing, and branding, as it does with more traditional aspects like storytelling, character development, and a presentation geared for today's EPG, time shifting, & channel surfing environments.
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Friends & Colleagues
http://marquisautorestorations.com
Mark's Agent:
Adam Leibner
Samantha MarpeN.S. Bienstock
250 West 57th Street Suite 333
New York, NY 10107
212.765.3040
