---
name: "Joel Surnow"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joel-surnow"
roles: ["Creator","Screenwriter","Writer"]
born: "29 November 1954"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 80
updated: "2026-09-16T21:21:03.230877+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."
---

# Joel Surnow

Creator and screenwriter. Born 29 November 1954 in Michigan, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Creator, Screenwriter, Writer
- **Born:** 29 November 1954, Michigan, USA
- **Active:** 1982–2001
- **Works often with:** David Anspaugh, Kevin Hooks, Maurice Hurley, Michael Duggan, Thomas Carter

## Biography

Joel Surnow is an American television writer and producer. He graduated from UCLA film school in 1976 and began his career writing for series including *St. Elsewhere* and *Falcon Crest* before his breakthrough on *Miami Vice* in 1984, where he contributed stories, screenplays and served as executive story consultant.

Surnow co-created the series *La Femme Nikita* (1997) with Robert Cochran and served as an executive producer. He later co-created *24* (2001) with Cochran, writing multiple episodes and serving as executive producer for the first several seasons. The series earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards, including one for the pilot episode.

He has also written for *The Equalizer*, *Nowhere Man* and other series, and received additional Emmy recognition for *24* as a producer.

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

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Miami Vice* (1984), Fi1m 81, Screenplay, Story, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), Fi1m 78, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)

## Also credited on (not yet reviewed)

- *24* (2001), Creator, Teleplay, Writer

## Also known for

- *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), Director
- *La Femme Nikita* (1997), Director
- *The Kennedys* (2011), Writer
- *The Equalizer* (1985), Writer, Story
- *Falcon Crest* (1981), Writer

---
© 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/joel-surnow