Tom Fontana

Reflections on the Manhattan of five years ago bring to mind those people who rose to the occasion during the times that followed the attack one of those good people is celebrating his birthday today. Tom Fontana is worthy of all the respect he receives on both the personal and professional level. There were more than one fund raisers for NY firefighters during that time at his behest. Simply put: he's generous and a man of his word..

Early on he made his mark in TV Land writing and collaborating with his good friend Bruce Paltrow on the exceptional hospital show, St. Elsewhere, to which all other medical dramas can only aspire. Homicide: Life on the Street is also the product of his creative mind. Joseph Wambaugh's blurb on Tod Hoffman's treatise of the show says it all, " ... simply the best police show to ever appear on television. Tod Hoffman's book is a must for any fan of the show, and it's much more than that. It's a story of something rare, namely the creation of cinematic art by a talented company that refused to compromise."

Of course, there isn't much more that can be said on these pages about the groundbreaking OZ which is also Mr. Fontana's brainchild. To know him is also a unique pleasure because the smile is genuine, the wit is sharp and the aim is true.

TV Land is richer because of him. More Fontana for more better TV.