Prolific Television Directors

Cafe Society
1

Was watching Spileberg’s interview on the DUEL DVD documentary dealing with his television work, and he mentioned a few prolific TV directors when he broke in in the early-70s, including Christian Nyby and Virgil Vogel.

As a young kid in the early 70s who paid attention to credits, I saw those two names countless times. I’m sure there are fifty more workmanlike directors who practically lived and breathed for Quinn Martin, but I forget.

Name some of the better ones that you recall. And I’m not really looking for the Richard Donners and Robert Altmans who segued into films, but rather guys who did their best in the limited television arena, day after day, week after week, year after year.

Were some too good for TV, but never really caught a break to films?

Sir Rhosis

2

Tommy Schlame comes to mind, offhand.

3

Anson Williams (yes, Potsy).

Peter Bonerz (yes, Jerry Robinson).

4

Richard L. Bare – lots of TV shows, both drama (“Broken Arrow,” “The Twilight Zone,” “77 Sunset Strip”) and comedy (every episode of “Green Acres”). He actually started out in film short subjects, but made very few movies.

James Burroughs – Director on “Friends,” “Bob Newhart Show,” “Mary Tyler Moore,” “Night Court,” “Third Rock from the Sun” and many others.

Peter Bonerz – known as Jerry the dentist on "The Bob Newhart Show, " he directed that, “Friends,” “Alf,” “News Radio,” “Home Improvement” and many other shows.

Jerry Paris – Jerry Helper on “The Dick Van Dyck Show,” he also directed there and “Mary Tyler Moore,” “The Odd Couple,” “McCloud,” and “Happy Days.” He did a couple of Police Academy films, but that was after the franchise was established.

Theodore J. Flicker – “Andy Griffith,” “Dick Van Dyck,” “Man from U.N.C.L.E,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Banacek,” and “Barney Miller.” He did make several films, and The President’s Analyst is one of the forgotten comic gems of the 1960s, but his movie career otherwise was undistinguished.

Bernard McEveety – “Bonanza,” “The Untouchables,” “Wild Wild West,” “Gunsmoke,” “Hawaii 5-O,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and many many more.

Vincent McEveety – “Star Trek,” “Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “The Fugitive,” “Kolchak,” “Simon and Simon,” “Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” “Columbo,” and many others.

Only Bare and maybe Flicker had any particularly distinguishing style, but they all could be depended on to stick to schedule and put out a competent product.

5

Jerry Paris–Dick Van Dyke Show, The Odd Couple, Happy Days

John Rich–*Dick Van Dyke Show, Andy Griffith Show, All in the Family, * even a couple of episodes of The Twilight Zone

Noam Pitlik–Barney Miller, Taxi, Night Court

James Burrows–Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Cheers, Friends

Jay Sandrich–most of the MTM shows plus The Cosby Show
I, too, spent an inordinate amount of time looking at the credits. My wife still gets mad at me because I won’t leave a movie until the credits are over.

6

My Gosh, yes, I had forgotten the ubiquitous McEveetys.

Brothers, I assume.

Weren’t there several Penns directing TV – Leo went to films, but wasn’t there another one?

Sir Rhosis

7

The two who did most of the original STAR TREKs were:

Joseph Pevney
Marc Daniels

Sir Rhosis

8

Jay Sandrich also directed most episodes of the brilliant sitcom Soap.