Tom Fontana

Buffalo native Tom Fontana, who has written and produced such groundbreaking television series as "St. Elsewhere," "Homicide: Life on the Street," and "Oz," will take part in the Downtown Jesuits Distinguished Speaker Series Saturday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. at St. Michael Church, 651 Washington St., in downtown Buffalo.

Admission is free.

Lisa Ludwig, president of the Theatre District Association and Executive-Managing Director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, will lead the discussion, which will be followed by questions from the audience.

Fontana is currently prepping a new Showtime series, "City on a Hill," for production. His honors include three Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, three Writers' Guild Awards, four Television Critics Association Awards, the Cable Ace Award, the Humanitas Prize, a Special Edgar and the first prize at the Cinema Tout Ecran Festival in Geneva.

Fontana attended Canisius High School. While in school, he worked at Freddie's Doughnuts. He graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, from which he later received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters. He spent three years in various jobs at The Studio Arena Theatre, before heading off to New York.

Fontana co-founded the non-profit charity, Stockings with Care. He's on the boards of the WGAE Foundation, the NYPD Police Museum, the Creative Coalition, the Acting Company, the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the International Council of the Paley Media Center.

He lives in New York City, but considers Buffalo his home.