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Lee Shallat Chemel

Highest Rated: Not Available

Lowest Rated: Not Available

Birthday: Jun 15, 1943

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA

As a female director working in television for over thirty years, Lee Shallat Chemel led the way for a lot of women in what was a largely male-dominated medium, helming episodes of TV sitcoms in a variety of styles and formats for well over 30 years beginning in the early 1980s. Lee Shallat was born on January 15, 1943 in Los Angeles, CA. (She added the surname of her husband David Chemel after their 1987 marriage.) Chemel launched her career as a stage director in southern California, beginning at the South Coast Repertory Theater in Costa Mesa. Chemel also directed for the stage at the Grove Shakespeare Festival in Garden Grove, and at the Matrix Theater in Hollywood. Chemel's first television credit came on the Linda Lavin sitcom "Alice" (CBS 1976-1985), but it was through the founder of The Matrix Theater that she was recommended for "Family Ties" (NBC 1982-89.) Female directors were chronically unemployed in television, and Gary David Goldberg, the creator of "Family Ties," felt the show could use a woman's touch, as well as someone with theater experience. Going from theater to television was not an easy transition, but after getting her feet wet with "Family Ties," Chemel went on to direct episodes of several major sitcoms of the era, including "Diff'rent Strokes" (NBC 1978-1985), "Full House" (ABC 1987-1995), "Newhart" (CBS 1982-1990), "Murphy Brown" (CBS 1988-1998), and more. As her career transitioned into the 1990s, Chemel directed episodes of Goldberg's next venture "Spin City" (ABC 1996-2002), workplace sitcom "Just Shoot Me!" (NBC 1997-2003), and the Brooke Shields vehicle "Suddenly Susan" (NBC 1996-2000), among many others. Going into the new millennium, Chemel directed several episodes of the acclaimed single-camera sitcom "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-2006, Netflix, 2013- ) and Amy Sherman-Palladino's charming comedy-drama "Gilmore Girls" (WB/CW 2000-2007). She was especially prolific on "The Middle" (ABC 2009 - ), directing nearly every episode of this sitcom about an average, somewhat dysfunctional Indiana family.

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Highest rated movies

64% Greener Mountains
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 64% Greener Mountains Director - 2004

TV

Credit
50% 48% Carol's Second Act Director 2020
No Score Yet 88% The Middle Director 2009-2018
76% 85% Happy Endings Director 2011
43% No Score Yet Mad Love Director 2011
75% 65% Greek Director 2011
84% 79% Gossip Girl Director 2007 2010
89% 95% Better Off Ted Director 2009-2010
89% 83% Cougar Town Director 2009
77% No Score Yet Samantha Who? Director 2007-2009
16% No Score Yet In the Motherhood Director 2009
97% 83% Ugly Betty Director 2009
No Score Yet 88% Gilmore Girls Director 2004 2006-2007
No Score Yet 88% Hannah Montana Director 2006
0% No Score Yet Living With Fran Director 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bad Girl's Guide Director 2005
75% 85% Arrested Development Director 2004
9% No Score Yet Rock Me Baby Director 2003-2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Eve Director 2003
No Score Yet 81% George Lopez Director 2002-2003
10% No Score Yet Raising Dad Director 2001-2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Judging Amy Director 2002
38% No Score Yet What About Joan Director 2001
No Score Yet 96% Becker Director 1998-2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet For Your Love Director 2000
8% No Score Yet Ladies Man Director 1999
40% No Score Yet Maggie Winters Director 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Just Shoot Me Director 1997
95% 79% NewsRadio Director 1996
No Score Yet 72% The Nanny Director 1993-1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mad About You Director 1993-1994
No Score Yet 87% Northern Exposure Director 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Head of the Class Director 1989-1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hogan Family Director 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Newhart Director 1986 1988-1989
No Score Yet 80% Full House Director 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet I Married Dora Director 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Benson Director 1986
No Score Yet 89% Family Ties Director 1984-1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alice Director 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Stones Director