Episode 21: Dave Finkel
New Girl showrunners Dave Finkel, Brett Baer and Elizabeth Meriwether with actress Zooey Deschanel
“And that’s one of those moments where I wish I could go back in time. ”
About Dave
Dave Finkel is an Emmy-award winning writer and producer who currently resides in Portland, OR.
Dave has been flogging the TV screens of millions of enthralled viewers with his abject mediocrity for the better part of a quarter century. Most recently, he, along with his writing partner, Brett Baer, and creator Liz Meriwether, ran the Fox TV show New Girl from the very beginning to the very, very end, squeezing out every last morsel of comedy.
In addition to that, he’s run or worked on a wide expanse of shows, including United States of Tara, 30 Rock, Friends spin-off Joey, Just Shoot Me and Norm, starring Norm Macdonald. He started his career on the classic animated shows Pinky and The Brain and Animaniacs.
In addition to writing for TV, Dave is a degenerate board game player, which sounds like an oxymoron, but it isn’t because it takes up the rest of what little brain space he has left. He’s also an avid tinkerer specializing in woodworking and technology. It's a miracle that he hasn’t lost any appendages, burned down the house or electrocuted anyone.
You can also see Dave in the feature film “Baby Mama.” He has like two scenes, and says not a lot. But he does get to play Jason Manzoukas’ husband. And together? They are positively delightful.