---
name: "David Angell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-angell"
fi1m_id: "david-angell"
imdb_id: "nm0029628"
tmdb_id: 1213757
wikidata_id: "Q2295429"
roles: ["Writer","Producer"]
born: "10 April 1946"
died: "11 September 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 88
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-17T17:28:51.006676+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."
---

# David Angell

## Identity

David Angell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-angell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-angell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0029628
- **TMDB ID:** 1213757
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2295429
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Angell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2295429, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0029628/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1213757

Writer and producer. Born 10 April 1946 in Barrington, Rhode Island, USA. Died 11 September 2001.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer
- **Born:** 10 April 1946, Barrington, Rhode Island, USA
- **Died:** 11 September 2001
- **Active:** 1982–1993
- **Also known as:** David Lawrence Angell
- **Frequently works with:** [Andy Ackerman](https://film.one/person/andy-ackerman.md), [Dan O'Shannon](https://film.one/person/dan-oshannon.md), [David Isaacs](https://film.one/person/david-isaacs.md), [David Lee](https://film.one/person/david-clark-lee.md), [David Lloyd](https://film.one/person/david-lloyd.md), [David Pollock](https://film.one/person/david-pollock.md), [Elias Davis](https://film.one/person/elias-davis.md), [Heide Perlman](https://film.one/person/heide-perlman.md)
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 2 Emmys (2 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 88, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 88 (1), 1990s 88 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Angell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2295429, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0029628/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1213757

## Streaming the US now

- **Hulu:** [*Frasier*](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md) (88)
- **Apple TV:** [*Cheers*](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md) (88)

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

## Fi1m on David Angell

> David Angell helped make ensemble comedies worth listening to closely. We rate *Cheers* and *Frasier* highly for their writing and performances, though repeated quarrels and prolonged misunderstandings sometimes wear out their welcome.

In *Frasier* (1993), the actors know how long to wait. Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce can make a pause part of the joke, helped by writing precise enough to leave them time for it. We laughed at that patience: being made to wait for a reply can be as funny as the reply itself. That timing is central to the family comedy Angell co-created and wrote, and it is a large part of why we recommend it.

*Cheers* (1982), which he joined as a staff writer in 1983, shows why an argument can be worth staying for. A bruised ego gives its cast as much to work with as a good insult. We enjoy the exchanges because the actors find humour in being wounded, rather than relying only on the next sharp line. That is a useful foundation for an ensemble programme: the person listening needs to be worth watching too.

The move from staff writer to series creator came through a continuing partnership with Peter Casey and David Lee. Angell became a supervising producer and writer on *Cheers* with them in 1985; together they went on to create *Wings* (1990) and *Frasier*. This is collaborative work, and we cannot sensibly assign every successful exchange to one of the three. But *Frasier*, their *Cheers* spin-off, gives us good reason to value that partnership: the writing is assured and the cast have the timing to do it justice.

The reservations are specific, and similar across the two programmes. *Cheers* sometimes repeats a quarrel until there is too little left for the writing to do, while *Frasier* lets certain misunderstandings run beyond the last good joke. Familiarity helps us enjoy these people, but it can also make the scripts too willing to keep them in the same disagreement. Start with *Frasier* for Grammer and Pierce, provided the occasional conversation that takes too long to resolve will not spoil the evening.

## Biography

David Lawrence Angell was an American television writer and producer. He graduated from Providence College with a degree in English literature and served in the United States Army at the Pentagon from 1971 to 1972 before moving to Los Angeles in 1977 to pursue writing.

Angell joined the staff of *Cheers* (1982) as a writer in 1983 and later became a supervising producer alongside Peter Casey and David Lee. The trio created *Wings* (1990) and *Frasier* (1993), on which Angell served as executive producer and writer. He received multiple Emmy Awards for his work on these series.

Angell and his wife Lynn were killed on 11 September 2001 aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to strike the World Trade Center.

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

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Frasier* (1993), Fi1m 88, Writer, Creator, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *Cheers* (1982), Fi1m 88, Executive Story Editor, Producer, Writer, Story Editor — [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)

## Complete filmography (10)

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

- *Frasier* (2023), series, Original Series Creator
- *The Discarded* (2020), Sound Editor
- *Regina Spektor: Live on Soundstage* (2017), Musician
- *Encore! Encore!* (1998), series, Creator
- *Frasier* (1993), series, Writer, Executive Producer, In Memory Of, Creator — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *Wings* (1990), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Jake and the Fatman* (1987), series, Producer, Creator
- *Condo* (1983), series, Writer
- *Cheers* (1982), series, Writer, Producer, Story Editor, Executive Story Editor — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)
- *Archie Bunker's Place* (1979), series, Writer

## Gallery

- ![The names of husband and wife 9/11 victims David Angell and Mary Lynn Edwards Angell inscribed in bronze, along with others on panel N-1 of the North Pool of th (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/61763/gallery-ae6c42b6c0a1.jpg) The names of husband and wife 9/11 victims David Angell and Mary Lynn Edwards Angell inscribed in bronze, along with others on panel N-1 of the North Pool of th (2011) — Nightscream, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/12.6.11AngellsPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi.jpg/1280px-12.6.11AngellsPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Name of 9/11 victim David Angell inscribed on bronze panel N-1 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan, as seen on Dec (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/61763/gallery-506ca05148cd.jpg) Name of 9/11 victim David Angell inscribed on bronze panel N-1 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan, as seen on Dec (2011) — Nightscream, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/12.6.11DavidAngellPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi1.jpg/1280px-12.6.11DavidAngellPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The name of 9/11 victim David Angell inscribed in bronze, along with others on panel N-1 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/61763/gallery-c4e27fe971a0.jpg) The name of 9/11 victim David Angell inscribed in bronze, along with others on panel N-1 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in (2011) — Nightscream, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/12.6.11DavidAngellPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi2.jpg/1280px-12.6.11DavidAngellPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The name of 9/11 victim David Angell inscribed in bronze, along with others on panel N-1 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/61763/gallery-c21b13673c08.jpg) The name of 9/11 victim David Angell inscribed in bronze, along with others on panel N-1 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in (2011) — Nightscream, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/12.6.11DavidAngellPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi3.jpg/1280px-12.6.11DavidAngellPanelN-1ByLuigiNovi3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Auszug aus einer Flash-Präsentation, welche im Gerichtsverfahren United States vs. Zacarias Moussaoui (Nr. 01-455-A) verwendet wurde (http://www.vaed.uscourts.g (2019)](https://film.one/media/person/61763/gallery-62c5c4a43630.jpg) Auszug aus einer Flash-Präsentation, welche im Gerichtsverfahren United States vs. Zacarias Moussaoui (Nr. 01-455-A) verwendet wurde (http://www.vaed.uscourts.g (2019) — United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/AA11_Passenger.jpg/1280px-AA11_Passenger.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![This is a view of one of the fountains located within the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001. The two fountains, one for  (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/61763/gallery-f08dbaabd8b7.jpg) This is a view of one of the fountains located within the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001. The two fountains, one for  (2011) — Saschaporsche, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/National_september_11_Memorial_%26_museum.jpg/1280px-National_september_11_Memorial_%26_museum.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 2 won

- 1994: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (won), for *Frasier*
- 1984: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (won), for *Cheers*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Valentine Davies Award 2002: Valentine Davies Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/david-angell