RICHARD R. BARBOUR
& JOSEPH R. BARBOUR
Creators of Blood and Water
Richard R. Barbour and Joseph R. Barbour are a father-and-son writing duo creating premium American crime drama rooted in lived experience.
Richard Barbour was raised in Apponaug, Rhode Island, and his firsthand childhood experiences form the foundation of Blood & Water. He studied with legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen at HB Studio and worked professionally as an actor in film, television, and theater. Richard collaborated with acclaimed playwright Reinaldo Povod for over a decade and developed projects with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese.
Joseph Barbour is a veteran writer and creator who has spent over twenty years developing original film, television, and theatrical properties. His work focuses on morally complex characters navigating systems defined by power, family, and survival.
Together, they bring a rare multigenerational perspective to crime storytelling, combining lived experience with cinematic narrative construction.
BLOOD and WATER
Blood and Water is based on Richard Barbour’s first-hand childhood memories of growing up in Apponaug Rhode Island and working in his father’s gas station, where their lives intersected with the world of organized crime. These lived experiences form the emotional and narrative foundation of the series, grounding its story in authenticity.
Blood and Water draws from that vantage point, capturing a unique world from the inside. Apponaug was a world where loyalty was personal, consequences were permanent, and the line between ordinary life and extraordinary violence was thinner than any outsider could ever realize.
Additional Work
Brooklyn Bleeds — Feature Film Screenplay
Up & Vanished — Feature Film Screenplay
Wake Me At Bergen Street — Feature Film Screenplay
The Thin White Line — TV Series Pilot
Fishbowl 45 — Stage Play, Screenplay, Novel & Full Cast Audiobook
Baby Boomers — Stage Play, Screenplay
Black Kat in Brooklyn — Television Pilot
