Manuel Hector Coto (June 10, 1961 – July 9, 2023) was a Cuban-born American screenwriter, television and film director, and producer on various films and television programs.
Coto was the executive producer and showrunner of Star Trek: Enterprise in its final season, and executive producer of four seasons of 24. He was an executive producer and writer for the fifth season of the Showtime television series Dexter.
Career Coto graduated from the American Film Institute and has experience in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. In 1990, Brian Helgeland and Coto sold a script, The Ticking Man, for $1 million, but the film was never made. He wrote and directed an episode of the animated Tales from the Cryptkeeper series and also wrote and produced an episode for The Outer Limits when it was revived on Showtime in 1995. He was given the chance to create and write a series for Showtime after The Outer Limits was cancelled. The resulting series was Odyssey 5 and starred Peter Weller (Coto would later cast Weller in roles on Enterprise, 24 and Dexter).
Coto joined the writing crew of Enterprise in 2003, when the show was in its third season; his episodes include "Similitude", "Chosen Realm" and "Azati Prime". He became a co-executive producer later that season. In the fourth season, he became executive producer of the show, alongside series creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. According to his bio on StarTrek.com, he was a fan of Star Trek all his life and once wrote a Star Trek comic book.
After that he became executive producer on the fifth, sixth, seventh and the eighth and final season of 24.
In 2010, Coto joined the crew of Showtime drama series Dexter as a writer and executive producer for the fifth season. He continued to work as a writer and executive producer for the show's sixth and seventh seasons, airing 2011 and 2012.
Films Coto has directed include Cover Up, Dr. Giggles and Star Kid.
Coto was the creator and executive producer of Next, which premiered on October 6, 2020, on Fox.
Coto was the executive producer of American Horror Story and American Horror Stories, having written a number of episodes of both series. Coto directed the "Feral", from season one of American Horror Stories, and wrote the season opener, "Dollhouse", for season two.
Personal life and death Coto was born in Havana on June 10, 1961, fleeing with his mother to Orlando, Florida, United States.
Coto married Robin Trickett on December 27, 2004, in Venice, Italy.
Coto died of pancreatic cancer on July 9, 2023, at the age of 62.
Filmography
Directing credits
Films Year FilmNotes1989Jack in the BoxShort1990Playroom1991Cover-Up1992Dr. GigglesAlso co-writer with Graeme Whifler1997Star KidAlso writer2000The Other Me2001Zenon: The Zequel
Television Year Series Episode1989Monsters"Love Hurts"1991Tales from the Crypt "Mournin' Mess"2021American Horror Stories "Feral"
Writing credits
Films Production NotesDr. GigglesFeature film (also director, co-written with Graeme Whifler, 1992)Hostile IntentFeature film (1997)Star KidFeature film (also director, 1997)HellfireTelevision film (co-written with Evan Katz, TBA)
Television Production Notes BroadcasterAlfred Hitchcock Presents"Twist" (1988)NBCTales from the Crypt"Mournin' Mess" (also director, 1991)HBOTales from the Cryptkeeper"While the Cat's Away" (1993)ABCDead at 21"Gone Daddy Gone" (1994) "Use Your Illusion" (1994) "Cry Baby Cry" (1994) "Life During Wartime" (1994)MTVThe Outer Limits"If These Walls Could Talk" (co-written with Eric Estrin, 1995)ShowtimeStrange World"Azrael's Breed" (1999) "Rage" (2000)ABCOdyssey 5 Also creator and executive producer; writer (4 episodes, 2002): "Pilot" (2002) "Shatterer" (2002) "Astronaut Dreams" (2002) "Fossil" (co-written with Jonathan Glassner, 2002)ShowtimeStar Trek: Enterprise14 episodes (2003–2005): "Similitude" (2003) "Chosen Realm" (2004) "Harbinger" (2004) "Azati Prime" (2004) "The Council" (2004) "Storm Front" (2004) "United" (2005) "The Aenar" (2005) "Affliction" (2005) "Bound" (2005) "In a Mirror, Darkly: Part 2" (2005) "Demons" (2005) "Terra Prime" (co-written with André Bormanis, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, 2005)UPNThe 1/2 Hour News Hour17 episodes (2007)Fox News Channel2427 episodes (2006–2007, 2009–2010)FoxDexter10 episodes (2010–2013): "Practically Perfect" (2010) "Take It!" (co-written with Wendy West, 2010) "The Big One" (co-written with Chip Johannessen, 2010) "Smokey and the Bandit" (2011) "Talk to the Hand" (co-written with Tim Schlattmann, 2011) "Sunshine and Frosty Swirl" (2012) "Chemistry" (co-written with Karen Campbell, 2012) "Do You See What I See?" (co-written with Wendy West, 2012) "Every Silver Lining..." (2013) "Remember the Monsters?" (co-written with Scott Buck, 2013)Showtime24: Live Another DayTelevision miniseries, also executive producer; writer (4 episodes, 2014): "Day 9: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m." (pilot; co-written with Evan Katz, 2014) "Day 9: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m." (story writer, co-written with Evan Katz; teleplay by Tony Basgallop & Sang Kyu Kim, 2014) "Day 9: 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m." (story writer, co-written with Evan Katz and Robert Cochran; teleplay by Adam DaSilva, 2014) "Day 9: 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 a.m." (co-written with Evan Katz, 2014)Fox24: Legacy4 episodes (2017)Fox American Horror Story Also executive producer; writer (11 episodes, 2018–2022): "Forbidden Fruit" (2018) "Gaslight" (co-written with Brad Falchuk, 2021) "Winter Kills" (co-written with Brad Falchuk, 2021) "Take Me to Your Leader" (co-written with Brad Falchuk and Kristen Reidel, 2021) "Inside" (co-written with Brad Falchuk and Kristen Reidel, 2021) "Blue Moon" (co-written with Kristen Reidel and Reilly Smith, 2021) "The Future Perfect" (co-written with Brad Falchuk, Kristen Reidel and Reilly Smith, 2021) "Thank You for Your Service" (co-written with Ned Martel and Charlie Carver, 2022) "Smoke Signals" (co-written with Brad Falchuk, 2022) "The Body" (co-written with Brad Falchuk and Our Lady J, 2022) "The Sentinel" (co-written with Our Lady J, 2022)FXNext Also creator and executive producer; writer (2 episodes, 2020): "File #1" (pilot, 2020) "File #10" (co-written with Adam Simon, 2020)Fox American Horror Stories Also executive producer; writer (13 episodes, 2021–2024): "Drive In" (2021) "The Naughty List" (2021) "BA'AL" (co-written with Ali Adler, 2021) "Feral" (2021) (also director) "Dollhouse" (2022) "Aura" (2022) "Drive" (2022) "Facelift" (2022) "Lake" (2022) "Daphne" (co-written with Brad Falchuk, 2023) (posthumous release) "Organ" (2023) (posthumous release) "X" (co-written with Brad Falchuk and Austin Elliott, 2024) (posthumous release) "The Thing Under the Bed" (2024) (posthumous release)FX on Hulu
References
External links