Marshall Herskovitz and Edward M. Zwick met as students at the American Film Institute in the mid-1970s and soon after their graduation started their television careers. Their series television work acknowledges the collective force that fairly represented in American culture, and as such, their authorial presence is felt through their primary themes, striving for authentic representations of the modern American family .

     In 1983 Herskovitz and Zwick teamed up to reproduce an award-winning television movie, Special Bulletin, which brought them each their first Emmy Award. In 1985 they formed their production company, Bedford Falls, named for George Bailey's home­ town of Bedford Falls in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life.

     Herskovitz and Zwick have been called the first baby boomers to depict their own lives so openly in a television series. Their drama series thirtysomething (1987-91) reflected the so-called self-centered dilemmas of the 1980s "thirtyish" professionals. Called a "yuppie" drama by some, the series featured a strong ensemble cast led by Ken Olin, Mel Harris, Timothy Busfield, and Patricia Wettig. Critics were divided about the show's self-exploration into relationships. Herskovitz and Zwick, however, took an unapologetic look at married and single life, which became a cultural touchstone for a generation. Their work on the 1987 season gained them each an Emmy Award.

     Their series My So-Called Life (1994-95) was an emotionally raw look at the teenage years. Running only 19 episodes, it followed a 15-year-old girl through the sometimes dark, sometimes tender pains of identity exploration. My So-Called Life was a departure from cute teen entertainment, and series star Claire Danes was praised for reaching honest and profound levels of teenage experience. Relativity (1996-97) was a romantic comedy/drama centering on two 20-year-olds exploring the paradoxes that come when children mature and separate. While not series creators, Herskovitz and Zwick served as executive producers on Relativity. As with My So-Called Life, this show struggled to find its audience.

     Most recently, Once and Again (1999-2002), sometimes called "fortysomething," explored the changing face of an American family faced with the realities of divorce, single parenting, and blending with other divorced families. The series also poignantly portrayed the struggles faced by children often unsettled by divorce-struggles that included anorexia,  depression, and sexual identification. Winning an Emmy for her portrayal of Lily Manning, Sela Ward led an ensemble cast praised for their unflinching and uncompromising performances. Once and Again became part of an unusual deal that allowed ABC to replay episodes on Lifetime cable within the same week of ABC's airdate. The week before its premiere, Lifetime signed an exclusive agreement with ABC and Touchstone Television (Disney) in what was called one of the fastest network-to-cable deals ever.

     Each of these series offered complex and textured sites for negotiating the shifting cultural phenomena of identity and family. The Herskovitz and Zwick narratives tend to avoid the easy answers and quick fixes. These same qualities were also the sites of profuse criticism, however. Some critics accused Herskovitz and Zwick of navel gazing, while others criticized network impatience for not letting the series' audiences build. While this may be true for My So-Called Life and Relativity, there is widespread agreement that Once and Again was mishandled, having been moved seven times in two and a half years.