John Byrum

His TV output has hardly been prolific but it has yielded interesting, if spotty results. After debuting with the "Night Caller" episode of NBC's remake of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1985), Byrum created, directed and co-executive produced the interesting 1991 NBC pilot "Murder in High Places," with a central character of a gonzo journalist loosely inspired by Hunter S Thompson. While the network passed on the series, Byrum had better luck with his sophomore effort, the critically-praised but low-rated "Middle Ages" (CBS, 1992), about a group of aging baby boomers in Chicago. "South of Sunset" (CBS, 1993), a detective show built around singer-turned-actor Glenn Frey, received only one airing before it was yanked from the schedule. The primetime soap "Winnetka Road" (NBC, 1994), set in the Midwest, had its champions, but viewers tuned it out and it too was quickly canceled. More recently, Byrum wrote scripts for the UPN series "The Watcher" (1995) and was the screenwriter for "Duets" a project originally set to star then-engaged Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt. After the couple's breakup, the project went into turnaround before it finally went before the cameras in 1999 with Paltrow now teamed with TV star Scott Speedman under the direction of her father Bruce.