Tim Doyle
Tim Doyle (born October 3, 1959) is an American television writer, producer, and showrunner known for his work on sitcoms and family comedies. Doyle graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1987 and began his career appearing in television commercials before transitioning to writing. His early credits include writing for Roseanne (1992–1993), Grace Under Fire (1993–1995), and Ellen (1996–1998), where he contributed to the landmark coming-out episode.[1][2] Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Doyle served as a producer and writer on shows such as The Big Bang Theory (2008, consulting producer), Better Off Ted (2009), and Last Man Standing (2011–2021, showrunner for multiple seasons). He created and executive produced the ABC series The Kids Are Alright (2018–2019), a semi-autobiographical comedy based on his 1970s childhood in Southern California.[3] Doyle has been married to writer Ellen Svaco since 1997. In July 2024, he was censured by the Writers Guild of America West for posting an offensive image on social media. As of 2025, he continues to work in television production.[4]Early life and education
Early years
Details of Timothy Doyle's early life are limited in public records. He was Australian and developed a lifelong passion for the Collingwood Football Club. Doyle became involved in environmental and human rights activism during the 1980s.[5]Academic background
Doyle earned a Bachelor of Arts with honours from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Arts with high distinction from the University of Adelaide, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Griffith University.[6]Career
Early career and activism
Timothy Doyle began his career as an environmental and human rights activist in the 1980s, focusing on global environmental politics and marginalized movements in the Global South. He pursued higher education, earning a B.A. with Honors from the University of Melbourne, an M.A. with High Distinction from the University of Adelaide, and a Ph.D. from Griffith University. Early in his professional life, Doyle taught at universities in Australia, the United States, Malaysia, India, and the United Kingdom, building expertise in international political economy and environmental security.[6]Academic positions
Doyle held several prominent academic roles. He served as Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of Adelaide, where he was also Founding Chair and co-Director of the Indo-Pacific Governance Research Centre. At Keele University in the United Kingdom, he was Chair of Politics and International Relations and Founding Head of the Research Centre for Politics, International Relations and Environment (RC for SPIRE), later becoming Emeritus Professor. Additionally, he was Distinguished Research Fellow at the Australia-Asia-Pacific Institute at Curtin University in Western Australia.[6][7]Research and leadership
Doyle's research emphasized the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean region, human and environmental security, and agonistic politics in addressing climate change. He led the Australian Research Council Discovery Project "Building an Indian Ocean Region" from 2012 to 2016, examining environmental security in the Indo-Pacific. In policy spheres, he chaired the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Academic Group from 2014 to 2015 and served as the Australian Government Academic Focal Point for IORA from 2016 to 2019. He also founded the Human and Environmental Security initiative within the Indian Ocean Research Group.[6][7] As Chief Editor of the Journal of the Indian Ocean Region (Routledge) and series editor for environmental politics series with Routledge and Ashgate, Doyle influenced scholarly discourse through numerous articles in journals including Third World Quarterly, Geopolitics, and Environmental Politics. His work bridged academia, activism, and policy, advocating for regional institutions and Global South perspectives on environmental issues.[6][7]Key works
Film contributions
Tim Doyle's contributions to film are primarily in writing and acting roles during the late 1980s and 1990s, with a focus on independent and made-for-television projects that preceded his more extensive work in television production.[1] His screenwriting debut came with Zombie High (1987), a horror-comedy film directed by Ron Link, for which Doyle shared writing credits with Aziz Ghazal and Elizabeth Passarelli; the story follows a group of students uncovering a conspiracy at an elite academy.[8] In 1990, Doyle wrote, directed a segment titled "Escape from Heaven," and appeared as the character God in the anthology film Road Lawyers and Other Briefs, a low-budget post-apocalyptic comedy co-directed with James Desmarais and David Lipman.[9][10] Doyle provided the teleplay for the Disney television movie The Shaggy Dog (1994), a remake of the 1959 film directed by Dennis Dugan, adapting the story of a boy who swaps bodies with a dog; this built on earlier screenplays by Bill Walsh and Lillie Hayward from Felix Salten's novel.[11][12] That same year, he took on a minor acting role as Marshall in Future Shock (1994), an anthology sci-fi horror film directed by multiple filmmakers including Matt Reeves.[13] Doyle's final notable film writing credit was the teleplay for The Barefoot Executive (1995), another Disney TV movie remake directed by Susan Seidelman, updating the 1971 original about a chimpanzee predicting TV hits; he collaborated with writers Tracy Newman and Jonathan Stark.[14][15] These early film efforts, often in genre or family-oriented formats, represent Doyle's limited cinematic output before he shifted primarily to television writing and showrunning.[16]Television series
Tim Doyle began his television career in the early 1990s as a writer and producer on sitcoms, contributing to several long-running series before advancing to showrunning roles in the 2000s and 2010s.[17]1990s Credits
Doyle's early work focused on family-oriented sitcoms, where he honed his skills in writing and production.| Series | Years | Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinosaurs | 1991–1994 | Writer (teleplay), Executive Story Editor | Wrote 3 episodes; also voiced General Chow in 1 episode.[18] |
| Roseanne | 1994–1995 | Writer, Producer | Wrote 2 episodes; producer on 25 episodes.[19][17] |
| Grace Under Fire | 1995–1997 | Supervising Producer, Executive Producer, Consulting Producer | Oversaw 48 episodes, contributing to the show's syndication success with over 100 episodes total.[20][21] |
| Ellen | 1994–1998 | Producer, Showrunner, Writer | Key producer on the landmark "Puppy Episode" (coming-out storyline); contributed to 109 episodes overall.[22][23] |
| Sports Night | 1998–2000 | Co-Executive Producer, Consulting Producer | Supported production across 45 episodes.[24][16] |
2000s Credits
In the 2000s, Doyle took on more executive production roles, often writing episodes while managing larger teams on ensemble comedies.| Series | Years | Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Richter Controls the Universe | 2002–2003 | Co-Executive Producer, Writer | Wrote 1 episode; produced 19 episodes total.[25] |
| Still Standing | 2002–2006 | Executive Producer | Contributed to 88 episodes, aiding its syndication run.[24] |
| The Big Bang Theory | 2008–2009 | Consulting Producer, Writer | Consulting producer on 23 episodes; wrote "The Griffin Equivalency" and story for 1 episode.[26][1] |
| Rules of Engagement | 2007–2013 | Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer, Writer | Wrote episodes including "Shy Dial"; produced 100 episodes, supporting long-term syndication.[27][1] |
| Better Off Ted | 2009–2010 | Co-Executive Producer, Writer | Co-executive producer on 13 episodes; wrote 2 episodes.[28] |
2010s Credits
Doyle's later career emphasized showrunning, culminating in creating his own series inspired by personal experiences.| Series | Years | Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking In | 2011–2012 | Producer | Produced 13 episodes.[1] |
| Last Man Standing | 2012–2015 | Showrunner, Producer, Writer, Director | Showrunner and producer on 42 episodes; wrote 3 episodes; directed 2 episodes, helping stabilize the series for 194 total episodes and syndication.[29][17][24] |
| The Kids Are Alright | 2018–2019 | Creator, Executive Producer | Created the semi-autobiographical sitcom; produced 23 episodes.[30][31][32] |