# John Altschuler
**John Altschuler** (born 1963 in [Carbondale, Illinois](https://www.edgepedia.org/carbondale-illinois)) is an American television producer and writer, best known as co-creator of the HBO comedy *[Silicon Valley](https://www.edgepedia.org/silicon-valley-tv-series)* and as a longtime executive producer of the animated series *King of the Hill*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-altschuler/credits/3060017135/) He has worked for most of his career in partnership with Dave Krinsky, whom he met at the [University of North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-north-carolina).[3](https://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/26/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-john-altschuler/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963, Carbondale, Illinois[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-altschuler/credits/3060017135/) |
| Signature credit | Co-creator of *Silicon Valley* (HBO, 2014–2019), with Mike Judge and Dave Krinsky; writer on 53 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365) • [4](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/80895/1/WRAP_THESIS_Callaghan_2016.pdf) |
| Longest run | *King of the Hill* producer, 1999–2010, 142 episodes, rising from story editor to executive producer[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27756/john-altschuler) |
| Emmy nominations | 5 Primetime Emmy nominations: *Silicon Valley* (Outstanding Comedy Series, 2014 and 2015) and *King of the Hill* (Outstanding Animated Program, 2001, 2002, and 2008)[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/john-altschuler) |
| Film work | Co-writer of *Blades of Glory* (2007) and *Action Point* (2018)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-altschuler/credits/3060017135/) |
| Other series created | *The Goode Family* (ABC, 2009) and *Lopez* (2016–2017)[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-altschuler/credits/3060017135/) |
## Early career
Altschuler majored in anthropology and economics at the University of North Carolina, where he met Dave Krinsky; the two made a half-hour comedy show on the campus cable-access station with their friend David Palmer.[7](https://michaeljamin.com/072-silicon-valley-creator-john-altschuler/) Before moving to California, they sold comedy material to *National Lampoon*, then the only national humor magazine, and worked service jobs in Chapel Hill to save money for the move.[7](https://michaeljamin.com/072-silicon-valley-creator-john-altschuler/)
In Los Angeles they worked as production assistants for about two and a half years while selling screenplays that went unproduced. Their break came when Carolyn Strauss at HBO, who had read one of their scripts, hired them for *The High Life*, a series created by Adam Resnick for David Letterman's company Worldwide Pants; they moved to New York on three days' notice. The show lasted eight episodes, but its reputation helped them find later television work.[8](https://www.popentertainmentarchives.com/post/john-altschuler-and-dave-krinsky-kings-of-the-hill)
## King of the Hill
Altschuler and Krinsky were hired on *King of the Hill* in its first season, which is how they met the show's creator, [Mike Judge](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-judge).[3](https://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/26/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-john-altschuler/) They joined as staff writers in 1998, worked their way up the producing ladder, and ran the series for its final six or seven seasons.[8](https://www.popentertainmentarchives.com/post/john-altschuler-and-dave-krinsky-kings-of-the-hill) Their credits on the show span 142 episodes from 1999 to 2010, with titles from supervising producer to executive producer.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365)
The Television Academy lists three nominations for Outstanding Animated Program for *King of the Hill* during his tenure, in 2001 and 2002 as supervising producer and in 2008 as executive producer and writer for the episode "Death Picks Cotton."[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/john-altschuler) In interviews, Altschuler described the show's approach as a centrist, middle-American view that avoided condescension toward its characters, and noted that its standards-and-practices restrictions were stricter than those on more cartoonish animated series.[8](https://www.popentertainmentarchives.com/post/john-altschuler-and-dave-krinsky-kings-of-the-hill)
## Film work and The Goode Family
While still working on *King of the Hill*, Altschuler and Krinsky wrote the screenplay for *Blades of Glory* (2007), the figure-skating comedy starring [Will Ferrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-ferrell) and [Jon Heder](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-heder). Altschuler said the initial idea was not theirs but the script was, and that the film's success opened doors for them.[3](https://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/26/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-john-altschuler/) They also wrote *Action Point* (2018), starring [Johnny Knoxville](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-knoxville).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365)
With Mike Judge they created *[The Goode Family](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-goode-family)*, an animated series that ran for 13 episodes on ABC in the summer of 2009, produced concurrently with the final seasons of *King of the Hill*.[3](https://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/26/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-john-altschuler/) Altschuler later served as executive producer on *Lopez*, the [TV Land](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-land) sitcom starring [George Lopez](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-lopez), for its 24 episodes in 2016 and 2017.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365)
## Silicon Valley
*Silicon Valley*, which premiered on HBO in 2014, was created by Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky.[4](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/80895/1/WRAP_THESIS_Callaghan_2016.pdf) According to Judge, the originating idea was Altschuler's: a show like *Dallas* or *Falcon Crest*, but about tech money instead of oil or wine money.[9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/mike-judges-silicon-valley-a-new-hbo-comedy-brings-to-life-the-world-of-tech-nerds/2014/03/27/f9ca63d2-b146-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html) Altschuler served as executive producer, credited on the first 18 episodes (2014–2015), and as a writer and creator across the series' 53 episodes through 2019.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27756/john-altschuler) The show received nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series at the [Primetime Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/primetime-emmy-awards) in 2014 and 2015, with Altschuler nominated as executive producer.[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/john-altschuler)
## References
1. [John Altschuler, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1014365)
2. [John Altschuler credits, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-altschuler/credits/3060017135/)
3. [A Chat with John Altschuler, Bullz-Eye Blog (2012)](https://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/26/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-john-altschuler/)
4. [Callaghan dissertation citing Silicon Valley creators, University of Warwick](https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/80895/1/WRAP_THESIS_Callaghan_2016.pdf)
5. [John Altschuler, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/27756/john-altschuler)
6. [John Altschuler Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/john-altschuler)
7. [Silicon Valley Creator John Altschuler, MichaelJamin.com podcast (2023)](https://michaeljamin.com/072-silicon-valley-creator-john-altschuler/)
8. [John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky – Kings of the Hill, PopEntertainment (2007)](https://www.popentertainmentarchives.com/post/john-altschuler-and-dave-krinsky-kings-of-the-hill)
9. [Mike Judge's 'Silicon Valley' brings to life the world of tech nerds, The Washington Post (2014)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/mike-judges-silicon-valley-a-new-hbo-comedy-brings-to-life-the-world-of-tech-nerds/2014/03/27/f9ca63d2-b146-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screenwriters and television writers › Television writers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license