{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Short description|American television producer}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Jeff Rake | image = Jeff Rake (cropped).png | caption = Rake in 2018 | birth_name = Jeffrey Paul Rake | birth_date = June 19, 1968 | birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | alma_mater = Columbia University (BA)<br>UC Berkeley School of Law (JD) | occupation = Television showrunner, producer | years_active = 2000–present | known_for = Creating ''Manifest'' and ''The Mysteries of Laura'' | awards = }} '''Jeffrey Paul Rake'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jeffrey Paul Rake # 169928 - Attorney Licensee Search|url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Licensee/Detail/169928|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=members.calbar.ca.gov}}</ref> is an American television producer and writer. He is known for his work on ''Boston Legal'' and creating the NBC shows ''Manifest'', ''The Mysteries of Laura'' and ''Miss Match''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 1, 2021|title='Manifest' Will Keep Its Original Ending, Says Creator Jeff Rake|url=https://collider.com/manifest-original-ending-creator-jeff-rake/|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Collider|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Biography == Rake was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Encino, Los Angeles.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=A Dream Come True, on Two Coasts|url=https://www.emmys.com/news/mix/dream-come-true-two-coasts|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Television Academy|language=en}}</ref> He attended Harvard-Westlake School and graduated from Columbia University in 1990.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Columbia College Today|url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/may05/updates4.html|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=www.college.columbia.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Storytelling with Columbia|url=https://www.college.columbia.edu/events/event/storytelling-columbia|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Columbia College|language=en}}</ref> He was the president of Columbia College Student Council during his senior year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Columbia Spectator 5 December 1989 — Columbia Spectator|url=https://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19891205-01.2.28&srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Jeff+Rake%22------|access-date=October 3, 2021|website=spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu}}</ref> At Columbia, he was also a classmate of television producer Gina Fattore and Academy Award-winning film producer Dede Gardner.<ref>{{Cite web|title=30 Bingeable TV Shows Made by Columbia Graduates|url=https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/11-bingeable-tv-shows-made-columbia-graduates|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Columbia Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

He received a J.D. degree from UC Berkeley School of Law, where he was a finalist in the James Patterson McBaine Honors Moot Court Competition and an executive editor of the ''California Law Review''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Past McBaine Winners|url=https://www.law.berkeley.edu/experiential/professional-skills-program/advocacy-competitions-program/internal-competitions/mcbaine-moot-court-competition/past-winners/|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Berkeley Law|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=1993|title=Front Matter|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3480755|journal=California Law Review|volume=81|issue=2|pages=593|jstor=3480755 |issn=0008-1221}}</ref>

After graduating from law school, Rake clerked for two federal judges, Judge Stanley Brotman of the District of New Jersey and Judge Majorie Rendell of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania then joined one of L.A.'s top law firms, Irell & Manella. During his tenure as a lawyer, he took a leave of absence and wrote the musical ''Hound Dog: A hip hOpera,'' an alternative history of Elvis Presley starring Wayne Brady.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Foley|first=Kathleen|date=November 29, 1996|title='Hound Dog': Elvis Meets Rap Music|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-29-ca-4061-story.html|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> The play premiered in 1996 in Los Angeles.<ref name=":2" />

Rake then entered the television business and co-created the Fox series ''The Street'' in 2000. He then put his legal knowledge to work by writing and producing episodes of ''Boston Legal'' and ''The Practice''.<ref name=":0" /> He co-wrote the pilot for ''Boston Legal'', co-created the series ''Miss Match'' and ''The Mysteries of Laura''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=August 23, 2017|title='Manifest' Missing Plane Mystery Thriller From Jeff Rake & Robert Zemeckis Set At NBC As Put Pilot|url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/manifest-missing-plane-mystery-thriller-jeff-rake-robert-zemeckis-nbc-put-pilot-1202154726/|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2017, he created ''Manifest''. The show was initially cancelled, but was picked up by Netflix and became the third show to reach 100 days in Netflix's Top 10 charts.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nelson|first=Elise |date=September 25, 2021|title=How 'Manifest' Made History With Its Streak on Netflix's Top 10 Charts|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/manifest-netflix-top-10-charts-history.html/|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Showbiz Cheat Sheet|language=en-US}}</ref> In August 2021, the show was renewed for a fourth season.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=September 15, 2021|title=Why Netflix Really Saved 'Manifest' (It Wasn't the Tweets)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/why-netflix-saved-manifest-1235013937/|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Behnke|first=Megan|date=September 19, 2021|title=Manifest Creator Explains When He Knew Things Were Going South For Show At NBC|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2573757/manifest-creator-explains-when-he-knew-things-were-going-south-nbc|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=CINEMABLEND|language=en}}</ref>

''Los Angeles Times'' called him a member of the "Ex-Lawyers Club," a group of television showrunners, producers, and writers who were once lawyers before switching careers and joining the entertainment industry. Other ex-lawyers named by the ''Times'' were David E. Kelley, Carol Mendelsohn, Richard Appel, and Stephen Engel.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tomashoff|first=Craig|date=January 22, 2002|title=The Ex-Lawyers Club|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-22-et-tomashoff22-story.html|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

In June 2025, it was reported that he was co-authoring a science fiction novel that was also under consideration for development as a TV series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=2025-06-10 |title=‘Manifest’ Creator Jeff Rake Sets Debut Novel ‘Detour’ With Eye On Turning It Into Series |url=https://deadline.com/2025/06/manifest-creator-debut-novel-tv-adaptation-1236429506/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Personal life and family == Rake is married to Paulette Light, executive director of the Charles Bronfman prize, who he met in college.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Who We Are|url=https://thecharlesbronfmanprize.org/who-we-are/|access-date=October 2, 2021|website=The Charles Bronfman Prize|language=en-US}}</ref> They have four children together. He is Jewish.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Gerri |date=2018-09-20 |title=‘Manifest’ Mixes Mystery, Drama and Spiritual Questions |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/239217/manifest-mixes-mystery-drama-spiritual-questions/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Jewish Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> "As a Jewish writer, I’m inspired by Jewish themes of redemption, second chances and Tikkun olam,” he told the ''Jewish Journal''. “We come to discover that the characters [on Manifest] are flawed human beings who’ve been given a second chance, an opportunity to redeem themselves."

== Filmography ==

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+Select film and television work by Jeff Rake ! scope="col" |Year ! scope="col" |Title ! scope="col" |Screenwriter ! scope="col" |Executive producer ! scope="col" |Creator ! scope="col" |Notes |- |2000–2001 | scope="row" |''The Street'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |Rake's television debut, wrote 4 episodes |- |2003 |''Miss Match'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |Wrote 6 episodes |- |2004 |''Boston Legal'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |Co-wrote pilot episode |- |2008 |''Cashmere Mafia'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |Wrote 1 episode |- |2013–2014 |''The Tomorrow People'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |Wrote 6 episodes |- |2014–2016 |''The Mysteries of Laura'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |Wrote 9 episodes |- |2018–2023 |''Manifest'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |Wrote 10 episodes |- |}

== References == <references />

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0707517}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rake, Jeff}} Category:Living people Category:Mass media people from Philadelphia Category:People from Encino, Los Angeles Category:Columbia College, Columbia University alumni Category:Harvard-Westlake School alumni Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American television directors Category:UC Berkeley School of Law alumni Category:Lawyers from Los Angeles Category:1966 births Category:Jewish American television writers Category:21st-century American Jews