Landgraf was born in California to father John R. Landgraf, Ph.D., a pastor, and Barbara Landgraf (née Joslin).[5] When he was very young, his parents traveled constantly, performing as backup singers for the gospel evangelist Rev. Mel Dibble, who was part ofBilly Graham Crusades.[6] When he was 5 years old, his mother completed an M.A. in social work and his father completed his PhD in family counseling.[7] In 1969, when he was seven years old, his parents divorced.[5][8]
After spending much of his childhood moving, Landgraf spent his high school years inOakland,California, and graduated from Skyline High in 1980.[7][9]
During and after college, Landgraf did an internship, worked in sales and eventually worked on the production side of the video production company J-Nex Media, a Los Angeles company that made commercial and industrial video.[7]
In 1988, Landgraf was Director of Development at Sarabande Productions, where he eventually became Senior Vice President.[3]
From 1994 to 1999, Landgraf was Vice President of Primetime atNBC where he oversaw the development ofThe West Wing, and other popular TV shows that includedFriends andJAG.[3]
In 2004, Landgraf was President of Entertainment ofFX Network, responsible for original TV shows that included critically acclaimed shows likeThe Shield and theDenis Leary-starring show,Rescue Me.[3]
In 2005, Landgraf was promoted to President and General Manager ofFX Network, a position that oversees the management FX, FX HD, the Fox Movie Channel and FX Prods.[11] In this position Landgraf is responsible for the operations, programming, development, scheduling, and marketing of the TV channels he oversees.[3]
During the 2015Television Critics Association presentations, Landgraf expressed concern that while television is undergoing a golden age, there is simply too much television.[13][14]
