Keith Samples

{{short description|American filmmaker (born 1955 or 1956)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Keith Samples | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|40|1996|9|24}}<ref name="lat.eller.claudia.1996.09.24"/> | birth_place =  | occupation = Filmmaker | years_active = 1975–present | employer = Rysher Entertainment (1991-1999) | style = {{Hlist | Comedy | Fantasy | Thriller | Action | Adventure }} }}

'''Keith Samples''' (born 1955 or 1956<ref name="lat.eller.claudia.1996.09.24"/>) is an American filmmaker and former syndication executive.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=BIO & RESUME |url=https://www.keithsamples.com/resume|access-date=December 15, 2021 |website=Keith Samples |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Brennan |first1=Sandra |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/person/193375/Keith-Samples/biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520064442/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/193375/Keith-Samples/biography |title=Keith Samples – Full Biography |agency=AllMovie |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=July 17, 2008 |archive-date=May 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2008/10/whos-to-blame-for-mrcs-cw-debacle-7355/ |title=Who's To Blame For MRC's CW Debacle? |website=Deadline |date=October 22, 2008 |language=en |first1=Nikki |last1=Finke}}</ref>

He graduated in 1977 at the Texas Tech University and pursued a sports career.<ref name=":0" />

He was founder of the film and television production company Rysher Entertainment. He was originally senior vice president of Lorimar-Telepictures, before landing a job at Warner Bros. Television and Walt Disney Television to help them develop projects for syndication.<ref name="lat.eller.claudia.1996.09.24">{{Cite web |last1=Eller |first1=Claudia |date=September 24, 1996 |title=It's Not Always Smooth Sailing |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-09-24-fi-46963-story.html|access-date=November 8, 2021 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

During his time at Rysher Entertainment, he grew the company developing their own movie projects.<ref>{{Cite magazine |author= |date=March 6, 1995 |title=Rysher Sets To Make Splash Into Pic Pool |url=https://variety.com/1995/film/features/rysher-sets-to-make-splash-into-pic-pool-99124285/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> On May 27, 1997, he resigned from Rysher Entertainment and pursue his own projects.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Busch |first=Anita M. |date=May 27, 1997 |title=Samples ankles Rysher post |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/samples-ankles-rysher-post-1116677979/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> He went on to be a movie maker/television director/producer after leaving Rysher, starting his own production company to develop motion pictures and television shows.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hindes |first=Andrew |date=June 10, 1997 |title=Par, MTV give Payne window for 'Election' |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/par-mtv-give-payne-window-for-election-1116680002/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

For a short period of time, in 2008, he worked at Media Rights Capital's television division.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=October 23, 2008 |title=MRC TV president resigns |url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/mrc-tv-president-resigns-1117994481/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> He infamously developed The CW's own Sunday night programming block under a time-lease agreement, but it flopped after a few viewings and poor ratings.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=May 9, 2008 |title=CW outsources Sunday to MRC |url=https://variety.com/2008/tv/features/cw-outsources-sunday-to-mrc-1117985413/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=November 20, 2008 |title=CW ends time-buy deal with MRC |url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/cw-ends-time-buy-deal-with-mrc-1117996223/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> He was fired after only a few months working at MRC.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Finke |first=Nikki |date=October 23, 2008 |title=Knives Out For Fired MRC Prez Samples |url=https://deadline.com/2008/10/knives-out-for-fired-mrc-prez-keith-samples-7367/|access-date=December 15, 2021 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Filmography== ===Film and Short Film=== * ''Above Suspicion'' (1995) * ''Big Night'' (1996) * ''A Smile Like Yours'' (1997) * ''Switchback'' (1997) * ''Election'' (1999) * ''Walking Tall'' (2004) * ''Single White Female 2: The Psycho'' (2005) * ''The Death and Life of Bobby Z'' (2007) * ''Love Lies Bleeding'' (2008)

===Television=== * ''Everwood'' * ''Felicity'' * ''Freddy's Nightmares'' * ''Haven'' * ''The O.C.'' * ''One Tree Hill'' * ''Oz'' * ''The Practice''

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0760131}} * {{Official website|https://www.keithsamples.com}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samples, Keith}} Category:Film directors from California Category:Film producers from California Category:American media executives Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:1950s births Category:Year of birth uncertain