Paul Hoen

The filmography of director Paul Hoen reads like a kid channel surfing. In the 1990s, he worked regularly for the youth network Nickelodeon--first on the variety show "Roundhouse," then on the offbeat supernatural comedy "The Secret World of Alex Mack." Over the course of the decade, he also directed episodes of the puppet-led sitcom "Cousin Skeeter," the alien-adoption series "The Journey of Allen Strange," and "100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd," a show about a school bully turned German Shepherd. Most of Hoen's projects were collaborations with producer Thomas W. Lynch, whom the New York Times described as "the David E. Kelley of tween TV." The two later teamed for the edgy drama "South of Nowhere." In 2000, Hoen scored a gig with the Disney Channel directing episodes of "Even Stevens," for which he received a nod for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs from the Director's Guild of America, the first of four nominations. (He had one win.) Hoen continued to target series that struck a chord with youths, directing "Jonas," a sitcom featuring pop sibling sensations the Jonas Brothers, for Disney in 2009. The family boxing drama "Jump In!" and the farcical caper "Dadnapped" rank among his most acclaimed TV movies.