Gary Nelson

Director Gary Nelson's five decades in television began with episodes of such classic 1960s comedies as "Gilligan's Island," the spy farce "Get Smart," the Civil-War-era sitcom F Troop, and the disc-jockey jamboree "Good Morning, World." Concurrently, he emerged as one of the leading directors of Westerns, consistently helming such series as "Shane," "Gunsmoke," and "Have Gun - Will Travel," as well as making his film debut with the Sam-Elliott-starring "Molly and Lawless John" (1972). His involvement with the long-running program "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" led to his directing of the Disney feature films "The Black Hole," a rousing sci-fi adventure, and "Freaky Friday" (1976), a famous body-swap comedy that benefitted from Nelson's sense of familial dynamics. In the '80s, Nelson returned to television almost exclusively, parlaying his penchant for Westerns into a spate of modern-day law-enforcement shows such as "Lady Blue," "Boys in Blue," and "Revolver." Nelson retired in 2000 after directing 19 episodes of the clairvoyance-centered drama "Early Edition." Gary Neslon died May 25, 2022 at the age of 87.