---
name: "Andy Cowan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/andy-cowan"
fi1m_id: "andy-cowan"
imdb_id: "nm0184518"
tmdb_id: 1213759
wikidata_id: "Q4760556"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "1 January 1901"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 89
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-17T17:28:50.304491+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Andy Cowan

## Identity

Andy Cowan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/andy-cowan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** andy-cowan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0184518
- **TMDB ID:** 1213759
- **Wikidata ID:** Q4760556
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Cowan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4760556, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0184518/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1213759

Writer. Born 1 January 1901.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 1 January 1901
- **Active:** 1982–1989
- **Frequently works with:** [Andy Ackerman](https://film.one/person/andy-ackerman.md), [Tom Leopold](https://film.one/person/tom-leopold.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 89, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Cowan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4760556, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0184518/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1213759

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Seinfeld*](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md) (90)
- **Apple TV:** [*Cheers*](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md) (88)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Andy Cowan is an American television writer, script consultant, producer and performer. He began his Hollywood career in the 1980s as a segment producer, writer and recurring performer on *The Merv Griffin Show*, where he pre-interviewed numerous figures including Jerry Seinfeld. He holds a master's degree in broadcasting from Boston University and earlier worked in radio and television news in Pennsylvania.

Cowan's writing credits include three episodes of *Cheers* (1985–1987), 23 episodes of *Seinfeld* (1994–1995, as writer and programme consultant), during which he wrote the episode 'The Opposite', and 16 episodes of *3rd Rock from the Sun* (1995–1996, as writer and executive story consultant). He is the only writer associated with all three series. He has also written pilots, hosted shows and contributed humour pieces to publications including the *Los Angeles Times* and *The New Yorker*.

In 2013 the Writers Guild of America recognised him as a writer on two of its 101 Best Written TV Series (*Cheers* and *Seinfeld*). He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who in America in 2017. His memoir *Banging My Head Against the Wall: A Comedy Writer's Guide to Seeing Stars*, with a foreword by Jay Leno, was published in 2018.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Seinfeld* (1989), Fi1m 90, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Cheers* (1982), Fi1m 88, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)

## Complete filmography (5)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Knocked Down* (2008), as Leonard Siegel / Voice of Martin Scorcese (voice) · Writer
- *3rd Rock from the Sun* (1996), series, Writer
- *Double Rush* (1995), series, Writer
- *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Radio Announcer · Writer — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Cheers* (1982), series, Writer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/andy-cowan