{{Short description|American author, scriptwriter and producer (1954–2026)}} {{Sources|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Jeffrey Lane | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = Jeffrey Scott Lane | birth_date = {{Birth date|1954|8|10}} | birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2026|5|20|1954|8|10}} | death_place = New York, U.S. | other_names = | occupation = Author, television scriptwriter, film producer, actor | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }}

'''Jeffrey Scott Lane''' (August 10, 1954 – May 20, 2026) was an American author, television scriptwriter, film producer and actor. He was a graduate of Wesleyan University.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983035.html?categoryId=2870&cs=1 |title=Basinger's students make their mark - Entertainment News, Entertainment Education Update, Media - Variety |website=www.variety.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328235526/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983035.html?categoryId=2870&cs=1 |archive-date=2008-03-28}}</ref>

==Career== ===Broadway=== Lane wrote the book for the musical ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', which ran on Broadway in 2005 and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical.<ref name=bway>[http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=383315 Internet Broadway Database listing, 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'"] ibdb.com, accessed July 28, 2010</ref> He wrote the book for the musical adaptation ''Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'', which was nominated for three Tony Awards and numerous Drama Desk Awards. Laura Benanti won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.<ref>[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141520-Patti-LuPone-Brian-Stokes-Mitchell-Sherie-Rene-Scott-Cast-in-Broadways-Women-on-the-Verge "Patti LuPone Brian Stokes Mitchell Sherie Rene Scott Cast in Broadways 'Women on the Verge' "] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105104950/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141520-Patti-LuPone-Brian-Stokes-Mitchell-Sherie-Rene-Scott-Cast-in-Broadways-Women-on-the-Verge |date=2013-11-05 }} playbill.com, July 26, 2010</ref>

===Television=== Lane wrote and produced for many television series and shows, including ''Mad About You'', ''Ryan's Hope'', ''Lou Grant'', and ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd''.<ref>[http://www.lct.org/showMain.htm?id=197 Biography] Lincoln Center, accessed July 28, 2010</ref><ref name=tv>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485374/ Internet Movie database Listing] imdb.com, accessed July 28, 2010</ref> He initially came up with the concept of ''Ink'', but he was replaced by Diane English at the last minute.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1996-09-02|title=English takes over 'Ink'|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/96-OCR/BC-1996-09-02-OCR-Page-0016.pdf|access-date=2021-09-25}}</ref> ;Writer *''Lou Grant'' (1977) TV Series *''Ryan's Hope'' (hired by Claire Labine) *''Cagney & Lacey'' (1982) TV Series *''The Mississippi'' (1983) TV Series *''Partners in Crime'' (1984) TV Series... {{aka}} 50/50 (Europe) *''The American Film Institute Salute to Gene Kelly'' (1985) (TV) ... a.k.a. ''The Best of Gene Kelly'' (UK: video box title) *''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'' (1987) TV Series *''The Murder of Mary Phagan'' (1988) (TV) *''Sunday Times'' *''Same Time Next Week'' *''Mad About You'' *''Bette'' *''Loco por ti''

;Producer *''The American Film Institute Salute to Gregory Peck'' (1989) (TV) (co-producer) *''Mad About You'' (1992) TV Series (executive producer) *''Bette'' (2000) TV Series (executive producer)

;Miscellaneous *''Ryan's Hope'' (1975) TV Series (production assistant) *''The American Film Institute Salute to Gene Kelly'' (1985) (TV) (production associate) ... a.k.a. ''The Best of Gene Kelly'' (UK: video box title)

;Actor *''Forever Evil'' (1987) .... Jay

==Death== Lane died following a long illness in New York on May 20, 2026, at the age of 71.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Greg |title=Jeffrey Lane Dies: ‘Mad About You’ Writer & Tony-Nominated ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ Scribe Who Won Three Emmys Was 71 |url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/jeffrey-lane-dead-1236919176/ |access-date=22 May 2026 |publisher=Deadline |date=22 May 2026}}</ref>

==Awards== *The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award * 2005 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' (nominee)<ref name=bway/> * Five Emmy Awards <ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485374/awards Emmy Awards listing] imdb.com, accessed July 28, 2010</ref> * Three Writers Guild of America Awards *Two Peabodys *Golden Globe *The Christopher Award

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060721150343/http://www.americantheatrewing.org/seminars/detail/dirty_rotten_scoundrels_04_05 Production: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels] - ''Working in the Theatre Seminar'' video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2005 * {{IBDB name|392563}} * {{IMDb name|0485374}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Jeffrey}} Category:1954 births Category:2026 deaths Category:Wesleyan University alumni Category:American soap opera writers Category:American male television writers