Linwood Boomer was the second youngest of four sons, growing up under the watchful eye of his strict mother, Eileen. He was enrolled in a gifted program at school, which laid the foundation for his future success in the entertainment industry.
Boomer's early work in television began as a writer and producer on the NBC series Silver Spoons from 1982 to 1986, and later on Night Court from 1984 to 1988. He then developed an adaptation of the popular British sci-fi comedy "Red Dwarf" for American television, although it unfortunately did not make it past the pilot stage.
Undeterred, Boomer went on to work on the relatively short-lived sitcoms Flying Blind from 1992 to 1993, and The Boys Are Back from 1994 to 1995. He wrote episodes for both shows and served as executive consultant on Flying Blind and co-executive producer on The Boys Are Back.
In 1996, Boomer was an executive producer on the hit NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, as well as the failed ABC entry Townies. He also served as an executive producer on the edgy animated series God, the Devil and Bob, which aired on NBC in 2000.
However, it was his work on the Fox family comedy Malcolm in the Middle that brought him immediate success. The show, which premiered in 2000, followed the lives of a struggling middle-class family of six, including a high-strung mother, a dim but well-meaning father, and their four eccentric children. The show was shot in a single-camera style, without a laugh track, and featured frequent fourth-wall-breaking commentary from the title character.
Malcolm in the Middle was a critical and commercial success, and its fresh and consistently funny perspective, combined with the remarkable performances of the entire cast, set it apart from its competitors. Perhaps this was in part due to the fact that the show was loosely autobiographical for Boomer, who drew inspiration from his own childhood experiences.
Today, Linwood Boomer continues to work behind the scenes on several TV show projects, and resides in Los Angeles.
