Joss one of the two best TV directors alive
according to E!'s Kristin Veitch.
I couldn't agree more. JJ and Joss FTW!
Also, there's another Whedon-related tidbit on page 4 (the comparison with Kim Possible and her love interest).
February 14 2007
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About membership.
I mean he's got to be better than all the dead guys too, right ? They can't even stand up properly, let alone hold a camera.
Saje | February 14, 07:58 CET
Ildeth | February 14, 08:25 CET
I think he's got it over the undead, too.
Am I the only one who thinks JJ Abrams is overrated? I mean, he's decent, but one of the two best? :/
Nebula1400 | February 14, 08:42 CET
Simon | February 14, 08:49 CET
Madhatter | February 14, 09:00 CET
billz | February 14, 09:18 CET
Greg Beeman
David Nutter
JJ Abrams
Robert Duncan McNeil
Martin Wood
Peter DeLuise
(remembered because, in order: watched Studio 60 last night, read his 'Heroes' blog, directs a lot of pilots including that one Adam Baldwin's in, just famous, used to be Tom Paris on 'Voyager' so I notice his name, Stargate director i've seen on making of shows, ditto and he does a lot of cameos and he used to be that guy on 'Seaquest, DSV' so I recognise his face and name)
Err ...
Joe Sweden
John Weedon
Jay Wheedon
Plus I guess there's one offs where cast have directed like Sean Astin, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks. But yeah, not many. Also, knowing what makes a good director ? Beyond me. I guess I know it when I see it but even then I could mix up script issues with directing issues (and vice versa) and not necessarily know which was which.
So i'm entirely unqualified to judge. Joss is still one of the two best living (or dead or undead) TV directors though ;-).
Saje | February 14, 09:35 CET
David Nutter
Winrich Kolby
Jack Bender
Carlton Cuse
Kevin Williamson
Frank Darabont (on occasion)
Ken Olin
Michael Rhymer
Rob Thomas
Andy Dufresne | February 14, 09:53 CET
What I'd be curious to know is what Joss thinks is good TV directing.
yourlibrarian | February 14, 10:20 CET
I'd have to disagree with kristin here, I love Tommy Schlamme, both because of the stuff he does and the fact that his name rhymes when you call him Tommy.
theyarescientists | February 14, 10:40 CET
Calledon | February 14, 10:54 CET
And I think, more importantly, Joss is one of the greatest tv writers alive.
kerfuffle | February 14, 11:07 CET
That is why, when talking about the greatest TV directors, we invariably end up citing writer/directors because they are able to do something unique with their own format (Abrams and Whedon are great examples of this, see also Ryan Murphy and Ricky Gervaise). Those that direct only, are judged less on creativity and more on reliability. On how well they deliver the vision of the show they are working on. In this sense, Winrich Kolbe (Various Star Treks, 24) David Nutter (Smallville, Roswell, Band of Brothers) and Laura Linney (ER, West Wing) are industry standards. You know they will make a good show, on time, and true to the tone and style of the show runner.
Andy Dufresne | February 14, 11:23 CET
TV has a much stricter homeowners association.
MindEclipse | February 14, 11:30 CET
(does that make actors bricks ? ;)
Saje | February 14, 11:38 CET
Edit: And of course Ricky Gervais/Steven Merchant. The Office directed wrong could have been terrible. And Edgar Wright started with TV.
[ edited by Jona on 2007-02-14 18:44 ]
Jona | February 14, 11:42 CET
zeitgeist | February 14, 12:04 CET
I also think non writer David Solomon has done a brilliant job on both Buffy and Firefly. I think Out of Gas and Selfless are the best best directed episodes of Firefly and Buffy by any other director than Joss.
the Groosalugg | February 14, 12:30 CET
That is why, when talking about the greatest TV directors, we invariably end up citing writer/directors because they are able to do something unique with their own format (Abrams and Whedon are great examples of this, see also Ryan Murphy and Ricky Gervaise). Those that direct only, are judged less on creativity and more on reliability. On how well they deliver the vision of the show they are working on. In this sense, Winrich Kolbe (Various Star Treks, 24) David Nutter (Smallville, Roswell, Band of Brothers) and Laura Linney (ER, West Wing) are industry standards. You know they will make a good show, on time, and true to the tone and style of the show runner.
I'm confused, she doesn't seem to have any directing credits at all?
Storyteller | February 14, 14:07 CET
Jona | February 14, 14:30 CET
killinj | February 14, 14:43 CET
Willowy | February 14, 14:56 CET
Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, etc. (M*A*S*H actor-directors)
Patrick McGooan
Jonathan Frakes
LeVar Burton
(other Trek actors-cum-directors--these are just the best two)
As far as non-actors,
Jay Sandrich (is he still alive? MTM director)
Norman Lear (again, still alive?)
Mike Vejar (Trek)
David Carson (Trek)
Winrich Kolbe (technically directed one episode of Angel, but I know him primarily as a Trek director)
John Kretchmer (again, he directed a few episodes of Buffy, but I know him primarily from VM)
Rob Thomas (VM)
Did Alan Ball, David E. Kelly, etc. direct as well as write?
Oh and obviously there are the directors most known for film who have done television. DAVID LYNCH, for crying out loud; also Quentin directed that episode of CSI, and Spielberg got his start on TV episodes I think--also, he produces TV miniseries, does he direct them as well? Going back to dead guys, Hitchcock directed episodes of his show.
And so on :)
WilliamTheB | February 14, 15:13 CET
I'm confused, she doesn't seem to have any directing credits at all?
That should read Laura Innes.
And frankly saying that JJ Abrams is the other great TV director is ridiculous. He directed one Felicity, the pilot of Lost and three episodes of Alias.
Oh, and now an episode of The Office.
Granted, the pilot of Lost is wonderfully directed but as this thread proves - there's a lot of really strong TV directors out there. And I'm a bit surprised no one has yet mentioned Michael Rymer - who has given Battlestar Galactica its signature look.
FWIW, David E Kelley and Aaron Sorkin haven't done any directing, but Alan Ball directed at least one episode of each season of Six Feet Under.
crossoverman | February 14, 15:37 CET
zeitgeist | February 14, 18:05 CET
cabri | February 14, 18:52 CET
She'd have missed Harold Ramis then, too.
I mentioned Michael Rymer on the thread about who should direct the next Trek flick.
Oh, good to see!
Now if only we could vote on who would write the next Trek flick. ie. someone other than JJ.
crossoverman | February 14, 19:18 CET
Alan Ball directed the last episode of Six Feet Under, maybe my favorite finale ever.
The Dark Shape | February 14, 19:20 CET
The Dark Shape - Alan Ball is awesome and that was a spectacular finale to a show that dug deeper into the human condition than just about any show on tv. It was brilliant and messy and thought provoking.
zeitgeist | February 15, 01:26 CET
[ edited by Andy Dufresne on 2007-02-15 10:12 ]
Andy Dufresne | February 15, 03:10 CET
M:I:III was recycled plots from Alias after all...
crossoverman | February 15, 04:54 CET
Rob Thomas
Andy Dufresne | February 14, 16:53 CET
(my emphasis) Since he doesn't seem to want to point it out himself. What, it's not enough the guy crawled through a river of shit and came out clean the other side ? ;-)
Re: Trek writer, I could definitely live with Ron Moore (who obviously has the track record and was instrumental in DS9 being amongst the best of modern Trek IMO). Or someone like David Koepp who's got the action, character and genre chops (he adapted and directed the excellent - and underrated - 'Stir of Echoes' and has a co-writer credit on 'Jurassic Park'). If they're rebooting in the 'Batman Begins'/'Casino Royale' naturalistic style then someone like Tony 'all the Bourne films' Gilroy could be interesting (despite some of his slightly dodgy credits).
Saje | February 15, 05:03 CET
Joss and Mutant Enemy has always been the big exception for me. I got pulled into the behind the scenes stuff during the whole Save Angel campaign but even before then I had a much greater awareness of the Buffy and Angel creative people than was usual for me. These days (in no small part because of the fact I post around here) I still like to follow the work of the old ME cast and crew whereas I would have no idea what any of the writers or directors of the X-Files, for example, were doing. Hell, I barely know what the actors are doing anymore.
The only series where I do follow the behind the scenes stuff in the same way as I do for Whedon shows would be Lost. There seems to be a similar sort of creator/fan connection in play, possibly due to the previous influence of David Fury and The Fuselage. That being the case, for me anyway, I'd have to say that Joss and JJ are certainly the best two TV directors alive... in my experience, at least.
Kinda faint praise, considering all I just said. :D
D-Monik | February 15, 05:17 CET