Jennie Snyder Urman

Jennie Snyder Urman was a TV writer and producer who rose to prominence in 2014 for creating the hit series "Jane the Virgin" (The CW, 2014-). Of course, Urman's breakout success was over a decade in the making. Having always had a desire to pen stories for the small screen, Urman got her chance in 2003 when she became a staff writer on the short-lived sitcom "Hope & Faith" (ABC, 2003-06). After the show was cancelled in 2006, an undeterred Urman continued writing spec scripts in hopes of landing more work. One of those scripts made it into the hands of producers for "Gilmore Girls" (The WB/The CW, 2000-07), who hired Urman on staff as a writer. During her year-long tenure on the show, Urman wrote four episodes of "Gilmore Girls." When the show ended in 2007, she quickly found staff writing jobs on the Anne Heche romantic dramedy "Men in Trees" (ABC, 2006-08), Candace Bushnell's "Lipstick Jungle" (NBC, 2008-09), and the updated version of "90210" (The CW, 2008-2013). By 2011, Urman found her way into writing movies. She penned two produced screenplays in 2011: "Danny Lowinski" and "Something Borrowed." Neither film, however, made much of a dent with critics. Undeterred, Urman returned to TV writing and in 2014 she created the hit comedy for The CW, "Jane the Virgin." The show, a comedy about a young, traditional Latina woman who must come to terms with the fact that a doctor artificially inseminated her by accident, was an instant success with both critics and audiences. In January of 2015, the show was renewed for a second season with Urman reprising her role as showrunner.