Terps, as Seen on TV!
While the Pandemic’s Had Us Bingeing Like Never Before, It’s Easy to Find UMD Alums in Front of or Behind the Camera
By Annie Dankelson | Illustrations by Jason A. Keisling Even in the dullest, darkest, most depressing days of the pandemic, we could always slide into the usual booth at Monk’s Café with Jerry Seinfeld. We formed never-spreader pods of sorts with old friends, whether we hit the streets of West Baltimore with Omar Little or knocked back Duffs with Homer. As the pandemic surged in 2020, traditional TV viewing increased for the first time since 2012, according to eMarketer, and a Wall Street Journal analysis estimated that streaming services saw a 50% jump in subscribers. (So if your screen time has spiked, you’re right on trend!) What TV-bingeing Terps might not realize, though, is just how many fellow University of Marylanders they’ve virtually invited into their living rooms—as actors, directors, producers and writers of some bona fide favorites, promising pilots and cult classics. Some are stage-trained actors from the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, while others studied journalism, government and politics, and marketing. So whether you’re diving into a new show or revisiting an old standby, we’ve created the ultimate Terp TV guide for future viewing.THE UNDENIABLE CLASSICS SEINFELD


THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEXT GENERATION THE GOOD PLACE


THE MARATHON-WORTHY MYSTERIES LAW AND ORDER When you hear that iconic “Dun DUN,” you know you’re about to witness one of the more than 450 crime investigations featured on “Law & Order.” DIANNE WIEST ’69, who you might know from movies like “Bullets Over Broadway” and “Hannah and Her Sisters,” stepped onto the small screen in 2000 to portray interim district attorney Nora Lewin in 48 episodes. She replaced Steve Hill, who had played the show’s D.A. for 10 years. “The first woman at the top of the list was Dianne,” producer Dick Wolf told Variety at the time. “Quite luckily she was intrigued. Not in your wildest imagination could you pick up not only a single but a double-Oscar winner.” BLUE BLOODS This hit crime drama centered around a family of New York cops allows ABIGAIL HAWK ’04 to transform into Detective Abigail Baker. The School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies alum was a struggling actor working retail in New York City before landing a guest starring-role in 2010. Around 200 episodes later, she’s still assisting Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck). “Baker and I have led quite parallel lives,” she told the website Showbiz Cheat Sheet last year. “She has matured and flourished under Frank’s mentorship.” The series returned for season 11 in December with an interesting approach: skipping over the pandemic to depict a post-COVID world even as it confronted the timely topic of police brutality. MONK

THE TEEN HITS (THAT ADULTS CAN ENJOY, TOO) NEVER HAVE I EVER In what critics call a “fresh take” on a coming-of-age story, this 2020 Netflix comedy follows the angst and antics of an Indian American teen, who’s navigating high school while still coming to terms with her father’s death. POORNA JAGANNATHAN ’96 plays Nalini, the well-meaning mother of main character Devi; the show earned praise for developing complex, diverse characters. “It’s certainly the most empowered I’ve ever been on a set,” Jagannathan, an immigrant herself whose father was an Indian diplomat, told UMD in June. “The show was set within my cultural context, so anything from props, to costume, to food—my opinion helped shape how things came together.” Bonus for Terp fans: Alums ADAM SHAPIRO ’02 and ADRIYAH MARIE YOUNG ’13 also appear. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

COMING SOON TO A TV NEAR YOU HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT HURTING MEN’S FEELINGS Inspired by the book by SARAH COOPER ’98, this single-camera comedy, being developed by CBS, will follow three women as they tackle gender politics at a male-dominated company. Cooper rose to TikTok fame last year with her viral lip-sync impressions of former President Donald Trump. CLAP WHEN YOU LAND

UMD Shows Strong Character
Beyond the fourth wall, even fictional Terps have made their mark in the TV universe.
Also Seen on Screen: UMD’s Campus


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