Jonathan Stathakis began his career in film and TV as a writer for numerous television specials, series, and films. It was his late 1960s indie film Awakening Urge that caused Jimi Hendrix to seek him out. Stathakis was the producer and cowriter of the series Park Street Under that served as the basis for the highly successful Cheers. He has created, produced, and written a number of TV series, specials, and movies for Starz, Showtime, HBO, and others. He lives on the Jersey Shore.