Reviewer Sarah Stegall points us to this Hollywood Reporter obituary announcing the death of NBC Universal executive Nora O’Brien, of a brain aneurysm on 29 April 2009, at the age of 44. She died on the set of Parenthood, a television pilot based on the 1989 movie.
O’Brien was named Vice President of Drama Programming at Universal Media Studios in January 2008, and kept the title when Universal merged with NBC in December. Before that, she had been Vice President of Original Programming for the Sci Fi Channel for four years, were she developed “episodic and longform programs including the miniseries The Lost Room and worked as a programming executive on Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.”
She also had production roles on The Outer Limits (2000), Creature (1998), Starship Troopers (1997), and Outbreak (1995).
THR quotes Sci Fi Executive Vice President Mark Stern on how he brought O’Brien to the network. “What was clear from the start was that she had a great passion, she was very smart and insightful, had great taste and aptitude for development and production, and her thoughts on the material were spot-on. But the most amazing thing about her was her integrity. She fought for what she believed in, and she didn’t tolerate dishonesty or a lot of the bull this business can throw at you. She believed in being a straight-up honest person, and that’s why so many people were touched by her and are devastated by her loss.”
Before the Sci Fi Channel, O’Brien worked at Trilogy Entertainment Group and Reunion Productions. She was a graduate of Boston College.
O’Brien is survived by her mother, Virginia, six siblings, and 14 nieces and nephews.