{{Short description|American television director, producer and writer (born 1957)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox person | name = Ilene Chaiken | image = Ilene Chaiken (P20230425CS-0611).jpg | caption = Chaiken in 2023 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|06|30}} | birth_place = Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | restingplace = | other_names = | occupation = Television director, producer and screenwriter | years_active = 1988–present | spouse = | partner = LouAnne Brickhouse | children = 2 | known_for = ''The L Word'' }} '''Ilene Chaiken''' (born June 30, 1957) is an American television producer, director, writer, and founder of Little Chicken Productions. Chaiken was co-creator, writer and executive producer on the television series ''The L Word'' and an executive producer on ''Empire'', ''The Handmaid's Tale'', and ''Law & Order: Organized Crime''.
==Early life and education== Chaiken was born in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, on June 30, 1957,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2004/12/13/ilene-chaiken-breakout-star-2004/|title=Ilene Chaiken is a breakout star of 2004|website=EW.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> to a Jewish family.<ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/hollywood/article/the_jewish_writer_and_actor_whos_the_voice_of_black_america Jewish Journal: "The Jewish writer and actor who's 'the voice of black America'" by Curt Schleier] September 11, 2015</ref> She studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with an undergraduate degree in graphic design in 1979.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://issuu.com/risd/docs/risdxyz_springsummer_2015_web|title = RISD XYZ Spring/Summer 2015|website = Issuu| date=June 2, 2015 |access-date = 2016-03-05}}</ref>
== Career == She began her career as an agent trainee for Creative Artists Agency and as an executive for Aaron Spelling and Quincy Jones Entertainment. In 1988, she was the coordinating producer for ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' and the associate producer for ''Satisfaction.'' She then wrote the screenplay ''Barb Wire'' (1996), and the television films ''Dirty Pictures'' (2000), and ''Damaged Care'' (2002). ''Dirty Pictures'' won the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film in 2000.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Ilene+Chaiken/393309|title=Biography of Ilene Chaiken for Appearances, Speaking Engagements|website=www.allamericanspeakers.com|access-date=2019-03-01}}</ref>
Chaiken co-created ''The L Word'' in 2004, inspired largely by her own experiences as a lesbian.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/movies/ilene-chaiken-coming-out-stories-the-l-word/|title=L Word Creator Ilene Chaiken on Her 'First Romance' and Coming Out: 'I Didn't Know How to Lie'|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> Her first romance with another woman, which ended in heartbreak when the woman revealed she had a long-distance girlfriend, served as a loose inspiration for the relationship of the characters Marina Ferrer and Jenny Schecter.<ref name=":1" />
In 2007, she and a group of women in the entertainment and tech industries launched a social networking site called OurChart for lesbians and their friends.<ref name=":2" /> OurChart was online until 2008 when it was shut down.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/news/2008/11/22/ourchartcom-pulls-plug|title=OurChart.com Pulls the Plug|date=2008-11-22|website=www.advocate.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> At that time, a spin-off show of ''The L Word'' entitled ''The Farm'' was in development and two pilots were being written by Chaiken, although Showtime never bought the series.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/the-l-word-sequel-in-works-at-showtime-search-still-on-for-showrunner-203445/|title='The L Word' Sequel in Works at Showtime|last=Chen|first=Joyce|date=2017-07-11|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afterellen.com/tv/48052-showtime-wont-buy-the-farm|title=Showtime Won't Buy "The Farm"|date=2009-04-03|website=AfterEllen|access-date=2019-03-01}}</ref>
Chaiken produced a documentary for Showtime in 2014 titled ''L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin.'' The film focused on multiple lesbian women, telling their experiences of being gay in the Deep South.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=2014-05-28 |title=Showtime Orders 'L Word' Documentary From Ilene Chaiken |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/showtime-orders-l-word-documentary-707629/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> During this time, Chaiken was also a showrunner on ABC's ''The Black Box,'' which was cancelled after one season''.''<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-08-08 |title='Black Box' Canceled by ABC After One Season - Ratings |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/08/07/black-box-canceled-by-abc-after-one-season/291396/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808063059/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/08/07/black-box-canceled-by-abc-after-one-season/291396/ |archive-date=August 8, 2014 }}</ref>
Chaiken is credited with first developing the TV adaptation of ''The Handmaid's Tale,'' which became a successful Hulu original show. Chaiken left the project during development to become the show-runner on Fox's ''Empire,'' but was still credited as an executive producer.<ref name="Vineyard">{{Cite news |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=2017-06-18 |title='The Handmaid's Tale' Showrunner Bruce Miller on the Season 1 Finale |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/18/arts/television/the-handmaids-tale-finale-showrunner-interview.html |access-date=2019-02-26 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In January 2019, Showtime announced that it had ordered a full season of the sequel to ''The L Word.''<ref name="nbcnews.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/l-word-creator-ilene-chaiken-what-fans-can-expect-reboot-n972271|title='The L Word' creator Ilene Chaiken on what fans can expect from the reboot|website=NBC News|date=February 17, 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-26}}</ref> The show aired December 8, 2019, titled ''The L Word: Generation Q'', and picks up where the original series ended, set ten years later.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Janes|first=DeAnna|date=Aug 23, 2019|title=The L Word: Generation Q Is Coming This Fall! Watch the Trailer|url=https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a28797392/the-l-word-generation-q-trailer-premiere-date-cast/|website=The Oprah Magazine}}</ref>
More recently, her company, Little Chicken Productions, signed an overall deal with Universal Television.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=2020-12-10|title=Ilene Chaiken Inks Overall Deal With Universal Television, Joins 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' As Showrunner|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/ilene-chaiken-overall-deal-universal-television-showrunner-law-order-organized-crime-1234653426/|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2020, Chaiken co-created the show ''Law & Order: Organized Crime'', a spin-off of the long-running series ''Law & Order.''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Alter |first=Rebecca |date=2022-02-28 |title=Law & Order: Organized Crime Replaces Showrunner Ilene Chaiken |url=https://www.vulture.com/2022/02/law-and-order-replaces-first-female-showrunner.html |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Vulture |language=en-us}}</ref> The following year, she worked as a writer and showrunner for the series but was replaced by Barry O'Brien part-way through production of the second season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caruso |first=Nick |date=2022-02-26 |title=Law & Order: OC: Barry O'Brien to Replace Ilene Chaiken as Showrunner |url=https://tvline.com/2022/02/26/law-and-order-organized-crime-barry-o-brien-new-showrunner-season-2-nbc/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3" />
== Personal life == Chaiken has been married to LouAnne Brickhouse, a former executive at Disney, since 2013.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.advocate.com/people/2016/9/21/l-word-empire-ilene-chaiken-has-changed-television-twice|title=From 'L Word' to 'Empire': Ilene Chaiken Has Changed Television Twice|date=2016-09-21|access-date=2017-09-14|language=en}}</ref> They live in the Laurel Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles and have nurtured more than 100 species of birds and other fauna, which they document regularly on an Instagram account.<ref name=":0" />
Chaiken is co-parent to twin daughters Tallulah and Augusta with her former partner, English architect Miggi Hood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.power-up.net/chaiken.html |title=A Conversation With Ilene Chaiken |last=Strohm |first=Deidre |date=January 22, 2004 |publisher=POWER UP |access-date=2007-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105100457/http://www.power-up.net/chaiken.html |archive-date=November 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== '''Associate producer''' * ''Satisfaction'' (1988)
'''Writer''' * ''Barb Wire'' (1996)
===Television=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Writer ! Producer ! Creator ! Notes |- | 1991–1992 | ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |- | 2000 | ''Dirty Pictures'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |rowspan=2|TV movie |- | 2002 | ''Damaged Care'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |- | 2004–2009 | ''The L Word'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |- | 2010–2012 | ''The Real L Word'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |- | 2014 | ''L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin'' | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | Documentary film |- | 2015–2020 | ''Empire'' | {{no}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} | |- | 2017–2025 | ''The Handmaid's Tale'' | {{no}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{no}} | |- | 2019–2023 | ''The L Word: Generation Q'' | {{no}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{yes}} | |- | 2021–2022 | ''Law & Order: Organized Crime'' | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} | {{yes}} | |}
==Awards== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Nominated work ! scope="col" | Result |- |1997 | 17th Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Screenplay | ''Barb Wire'' |{{nom}} |- |2000 |58th Golden Globe Awards |Best Miniseries or Television Film | ''Dirty Pictures'' |{{won}} |- |2008 |20th GLAAD Media Awards | Davidson/Valentini Award |''The L Word'' |{{won}} |- |2016 |73rd Golden Globe Awards |Best Television Series- Drama | ''Empire'' |{{nom}} |- |rowspan="4" | 2017 |69th Primetime Emmy Awards |Outstanding Drama Series | rowspan="7" | ''The Handmaid's Tale'' |{{won}} |- |PGA Awards 2017 |Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama |{{won}} |- |Writers Guild of America Awards 2017 |Drama Series |{{won}} |- |Writers Guild of America Awards 2017 |New Series |{{won}} |- |rowspan="3"| 2018 |70th Primetime Emmy Awards |Outstanding Drama Series |{{nom}} |- |PGA Awards 2018 |Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama |{{nom}} |- |Writers Guild of America Awards 2018 |Drama Series |{{nom}} |- |}
==See also== * List of female film and television directors * List of lesbian filmmakers * List of LGBT-related films directed by women
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Ilene Chaiken}} * {{IMDb name|0149669}} {{Authority control}}
{{Clear}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaiken, Ilene}} Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American screenwriters Category:20th-century American women writers Category:21st-century American screenwriters Category:21st-century American women writers Category:American television directors Category:American women television writers Category:Television writers from California Category:American women screenwriters Category:American LGBTQ screenwriters Category:American lesbian artists Category:American lesbian writers Category:GLAAD Davidson/Valentini Award Category:LGBTQ television directors Category:Lesbian screenwriters Category:American showrunners Category:American women television directors Category:American women television producers Category:Jewish American screenwriters Category:Lesbian Jews Category:LGBTQ people from California Category:American television show creators Category:Television producers from California Category:People from Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles Category:LGBTQ people from Pennsylvania Category:Television producers from Pennsylvania Category:People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Category:Rhode Island School of Design alumni Category:Empire (2015 TV series) Category:Screenwriters from Pennsylvania Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners <!--Category:Place of birth missing (living people)-->