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This article is about the writer Rob Thomas. For other people with this name see Rob Thomas (disambiguation).

Rob Thomas (born August 15, 1965 in Sunnyside, Washington) is an author and screenwriter, best known for his book Rats Saw God and his television program Veronica Mars.

Before he began writing novels for young adults, Thomas taught high-school journalism at John Marshall High School in San Antonio, Texas, advised the University of Texas student magazine, and worked for Channel One News; this last experience informs his novel Satellite Down. Rob played bass and was the primary song writer for two Austin, Texas bands, Hey Zues and Black Irish in the late 80's and early 90's.

His first television writing-credit came on a 1996 episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast which appeared on Cartoon Network, after writing the script that would eventually become the 1999 film Fortune Cookie. Based on the script he was offered a job on the writing staff of Dawson's Creek during the show's first season. After reading the same script Jeff Sagansky, then president of Sony Entertainment, suggested he create a romantic pilot. That show soon developed into Cupid, a critically acclaimed dramedy series which was canceled after 14 episodes. It led to Thomas being asked to run ABC's 1999 series Snoops, although he left due to creative differences with producer David E. Kelley before the show aired. Thomas got his own show in 2004 — the critically successful but again low-rated Veronica Mars, which battled ratings until it was canceled after the third season. He was also offered showrunner position on NBC's Friday Night Lights, which he declined in favor of the possibility (and eventual reality) of a third season of Veronica Mars, CBS's Viva Laughlin, which he also declined, and ABC's Miss/Guided, which he accepted and joined in May 2007 before leaving in July of the same year, again due to creative differences.

Thomas also adapted the screenplay for Drive Me Crazy, and directed On Air, a twenty-minute film adaptation of a story from Doing Time.

• Green Thumb (1999) (ISBN 0-689-82886-1)
• Satellite Down (1998) (ISBN 0-689-83052-1)
• Doing Time: Notes from the Undergrad (1997) (ISBN 0-689-82414-9)
• Slave Day (1997) (ISBN 0-689-82193-X)
• Rats Saw God (1996) (ISBN 0-689-80777-5)

• Veronica Mars (2004) (creator, writer, executive producer)
• Snoops (1999) (show runner)
• Dawson's Creek (1998) (writer)
• Cupid (1998) (executive producer, writer)
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1998) (writer)

• Fortune Cookie (1999) (writer)
• Drive Me Crazy (1999) (screenwriter)

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Was coached by Celester Collier in basketball at San Marcos High School in San Marcos, Texas during his high school days. ^[1]

• Rob Thomas at the Internet Movie Database
• Slaverats.com, Thomas' official site
• Extensive public radio interview on The Sound of Young America
• PopGurls Interview: Rob Thomas