Marc Buckland

After working for many years with Steven Bochco ("L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue"), director and producer Marc Buckland found one of his biggest successes, not in the world of hard-hitting procedural dramas, but in comedy. Premiering in 2005, "My Name is Earl" followed the hapless quest of Earl Hickey (Jason Lee) to right the wrongs of his past. The single-camera series was notable for featuring multiple locations and highly original storylines not available to the usual sitcom plot-generators. Buckland won an Emmy Award for directing the show's pilot episode. Like many Hollywood hopefuls, Buckland got his start as a production assistant. Unlike them, he actually moved up the ranks, eventually producing and directing for some of Steven Bochco's most high-profile shows: "Murder One" and later "Brooklyn South." Buckland started loosening up a bit in the 2000s with the medical comedy series "Scrubs." After the cancellation of "My Name Is Earl" in 2009, after four seasons, Buckland continued to flex his funny-bone in the incredibly witty and incredibly short-lived "Better Off Ted."