Christine Zander
# Christine Zander

Christine Zander is an American television writer and producer. She started writing for national television on NBC's Saturday Night Live (1986–1993).

## Personal life

Zander is the daughter of Marie Zander, who died in May 2001. She has one brother Ernie Zander. She married actor and writer Mark Nutter in 1987, and together they had son Andrew Nutter. Nutter and Zander first met at the cabaret Cross-Currents in Chicago where they were both performing improvisational comedy, and Nutter also played keyboard for the Second City touring company. The couple relocated from Chicago to New York City when Zander was offered a position at Saturday Night Live in 1986. After seven years of working for Saturday Night Live, Mark Nutter and Zander relocated with their baby to Los Angeles for Nutter to find more opportunities as a writer. They have since divorced. She is in a relationship with the German comedian Dieter Hallervorden.

## Career

### Saturday Night Live

Christine Zander joined the 1986 season of Saturday Night Live along with other famous comedy writers such as Kevin Nealon and Phil Hartman. The first sketch Zander was able to get on the air starred Bill Murray as the one night stand of cast member Jan Hooks. During her time there, she worked closely with Nora Dunn on various sketches. When Dunn left the show, she became very close with Julia Sweeney, helping her craft sketches for the famous character “Pat,” an androgynous and cripplingly awkward boss. Zander and Sweeney later collaborated on a fictional biography for the character, It’s Pat! My Life Exposed, which was published by Hyperion in September 1992. Her favorite sketches to write on the show were “Pat,” “Attitudes” starring John Malcovich, and “Their Eyes Evolved to Be on Their Breasts,” which involved women who developed eyes on their breasts so as to better meet the male gaze.

When Christine Z. joined the staff of Saturday Night Live, she and Rosie Shuster were the only two females on the writing staff. In 1992 Zander told the New York Times,

   “If you don't have a lot of women to bounce ideas off or back you up it can get a little crazy around here. None of the men are individually sexist; it's just hard for them to have faith in something from a woman's point of view.

### 3rd Rock from the Sun

Zander was thrilled to join her writer friends from SNL Bonnie and Terry Turner who created the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun in 1996. The sitcom followed a group of extraterrestrials sent to Earth to investigate human society, and it starred famous actors John Lithgow and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The show was fairly popular; its ratings ranked 22nd in the 1995 television season and 27th in the 1996 season. Zander eventually became executive producer of the series in 1999 until the show’s end in 2001.

## Filmography

### As writer

| Year | Title | Notes |
| - | - | - |
| 1986–1993 | Saturday Night Live | Television series Nominated-- Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (1987, 1990–1991, 1993) Won-- Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program (1989) |
| 1994 | Nurses | Television series Episode: "Don't Hit the Road, Jack" |
| 1994 | She TV | Television series Episode: "Episode #1.2" |
| 1995 | Bringing Up Jack | Television series |
| 2000 | Shadow Life | Short film directed by Julia Sweeney |
| 1996–2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Television series Also producer |
| 2002 | That 80's Show | Television series Also producer Episode: "My Dead Friend" |
| 2003–2006 | Less Than Perfect | Television series Also producer |
| 2006 | Untitled Patricia Heaton Project | Television pilot Also producer |
| 2007 | The Singles Table | Television series Episode: "The Work Dinner" |
| 2007 | Samantha Who? | Television series Also producer Episode: "The Wedding" |
| 2009 | Ab Fab | Television movie Also producer |
| 2009–2010 | Nurse Jackie | Television series Also producer Episodes: "Apple Bong" and "School Nurse" |
| 2011 | Running Wilde | Television series Also producer Episode: "Alienated" |
| 2011 | Raising Hope | Television series Also producer Episodes: "Prodigy" and "Everybody Flirts... Sometimes" |
| 2013 | The Goodwin Games | Television series Also producer Episode: "Happy Hour" |
| 2013 | Mom | Television series Also producer |
| 2014 | Jennifer Falls | Television series Also producer Episode: "School Trouble" |
| 2015 | Kevin From Work | Television series Also producer Episodes: "Escape from Work" and "Birthday from Work" |
| 2016–2018 | *Loosely Exactly Nicole | Television series Also producer |
| 2019-2021 | The Unicorn | Television series Episodes: "The Unicorn and The Catfish" and "A Big Move" |

### As producer

| Year | Title | Notes |
| - | - | - |
| 1996–2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Television series Executive producer 2000-2001 Nominated-- Outstanding Comedy Series (1997–1998) |
| 2001–2002 | Grounded For Life | Television series Consulting producer |
| 2002 | That 80's Show | Television series Executive producer |
| 2002–2006 | Less Than Perfect | Television series Co-executive producer |
| 2006 | Untitled Patricia Heaton Project | Television movie Executive producer |
| 2007–2008 | Samantha Who? | Television series Consulting producer |
| 2009 | Ab Fab | Television movie Executive producer |
| 2009–2010 | Nurse Jackie | Television series Co-executive producer 2009 Executive producer 2010 Nominated-- Outstanding Comedy Series (2010) |
| 2010 | Running Wilde | Television series Co-executive producer |
| 2011–2012 | Raising Hope | Television series Co-executive producer |
| 2013 | The Goodwin Games | Television series Co-executive producer |
| 2013 | Mom | Television series Consulting producer |
| 2014 | Jennifer Falls | Television series Consulting producer |
| 2015 | Kevin From Work | Television series Co-executive producer |
| 2016 | *Loosely Exactly Nicole | Television series Executive producer |
