Robert Halmi Jr.
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
This son of the celebrated TV mogul Robert Halmi Sr. is a leading executive and producer in his own right. With a BA from Syracuse on his resume, Robert Halmi Jr worked as a professional photographer before entering the family business, Robert Halmi Productions, in 1980 as an "assistant to the producer" (his father) on "A Private Battle" (CBS, 1980), a telefilm about writer Cornelius Ryan. This was the kind of high-minded entertainment with which father and son would often be associated. An immediate success, he quickly climbed the ranks to become president and CEO of RHI Entertainment, which he co-founded in 1984.
Halmi graduated to associate producer with "When the Circus Came to Town" (CBS, 1981), a romantic comedy starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Christopher Plummer, executive producer with "China Rose" (CBS, 1983), and producer on "April Morning" (CBS, 1988) which aired as a "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation. He supervised all operating and financial matters at RHI while producing or executive producing numerous "prestige" packages as president of Robert Halmi, Inc. from 1985 to 1988. Halmi enjoyed his greatest triumph to date with the hugely popular Western miniseries "Lonesome Dove" (CBS, 1989) which netted eight Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. He was also closely involved in the growth of RHI's library as it swelled to over 900 hours of miniseries, TV-movies and specials. He executive produced the syndicated teenage series "Dracula--The Series" (1990), served as senior producer on "Space Rangers" (CBS, 1993), a short-lived sci-fi series starring Linda Hunt, and oversaw the syndicated "Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years" (1994). Other credits include the popular Nickelodeon series "The Secret Life of Alex Mack" (1994-98), the Emmy-nominated "The Baby Dance" (Showtime, 1999), the cult series "Farscape" (Sci-Fi Channel, 1999-2003) and the Emmy-nominated "Arabian Nights" (ABC, 2000).
Halmi entered features as associate producer to his father on "The Long Ride" (1984). He advanced to executive producer on the comic misfire "Lily in Love" (1985) starring Christopher Plummer and Maggie Smith and "Leader of the Band" (1987), a mild comedy with Mercedes Ruehl.
Halmi became president and CEO of Hallmark Entertainment after RHI Entertainment was sold to and became a division of Hallmark Cards. His father reigned as chairman of the board. Under the auspices of Hallmark, Halmi ventured into theatrical production with Broadway revivals of the family-aimed "The Sound of Music" and "1776" (both 1998).
Filmography
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Producer (Special)
Producer (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1979
Had photograph published in The New York Times
1980
Joined father at Robert Halmi Productions
1980
First professional credit, assistant to producer for the TV-movie, "A Private Battle" (CBS)
1981
Served as associate producer on the TV-movie, "When the Circus Came to Town" (CBS)
1983
Debut as TV-movie executive producer, "China Rose" (CBS)
1984
Co-founded RHI Entertainment, Inc.
1984
Feature debut as associate producer, "The Long Ride"
1985
Debut as feature film executive producer "Lily in Love"
1985
Executive produced the Emmy-nominated "The Night They Saved Christmas"
1987
Was executive producer of the Emmy-nominated "Pack of Lies" (aired on CBS as part of "Hallmark Hall of Fame")
1988
Credited as producer (with director Delbert Mann) of "April Morning" on TV's "Hallmark Hall of Fame"
1988
Debut as TV series executive producer, "Learning the Ropes"
1989
Co-executive produced acclaimed Western miniseries, "Lonesome Dove"; received Emmy nomination
1989
Sold RHI Entertainment to Qintex
1990
Left Qintex and re-launched RHI Entertainment
1990
Served as executive producer of "Dracula -- The Series"
1992
Was executive producer of the sequel "Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore", starring Walter Matthau
1993
Executive produced "Return to Lonesome Dove" (CBS)
1994
Became president and CEO of Hallmark Entertainment after RHI Entertainment was sold to Hallmark Cards
1994
Credited as executive producer of the syndicated spin-off series "Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years"
1995
Founded Hallmark Entertainment Networks, Inc. (HEN)
1995
Was executive producer of the "Black Fox" trilogy of TV-movies on CBS, starring Christopher Reeve and Tony Todd
1997
Executive produced "Crayola Kids Adventures", a series of adaptation of classics geared for youngsters; aired on CBS
1998
Ventured into theatrical producing with the Tony-nominated revivals of "1776" and "The Sound of Music"
1999
Served as an executive producer of the Emmy-nominated "The Baby Dance"
1999
Was an executive producer of the sci-fi series "Farscape" (The Sci-Fi Channel)
1999
Executive produced the ABC miniseries "Cleopatra"
1999
Was the executive producer of the well-received Showtime movie "A Gift of Love: The Daniel Huffman Story"
2000
Executive produced the multi-part NBC miniseries "The 10th Kingdom"
2000
Received Emmy nomination for executive producing the ABC miniseries "Arabian Nights"
2000
Served as executive producer of "Jason and the Argonauts"
2000
Served as executive producer of the TNT remake of "David Copperfield"
2001
Was executive producer of the Odyssey Channel miniseries "Voyage of the Unicorn"
Family
Companions
