Pamela Fryman

Director
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her two-hour interview, Pamela Fryman talks about her early life, and her first jobs in television on The Mike Douglas Show, The John Davidson Show, and The New Hollywood Squares. She discuses her first television directing job on the daytime drama Santa Barbara. She recalls advice she got from veteran television director James Burrows, and directing the comedies Friends and Cybill. She recounts her time as a director on Frasier, and details working with the cast and crew of the show. Fryman chronicles directing Just Shoot Me, and Two and a Half Men, and goes in depth about her long stint as one of the sole directors of How I Met Your Mother. She sums up by giving advice to aspiring directors, and discussing career highlights and regrets. Nancy Harrington conducted the interview on May 8, 2017 in North Hollywood, CA.

“[As a director], be kind, be strong. Empower people. Don’t feel like you have to know everything. That’s the most important thing, because that's what I thought at the very beginning and I realized that I was wrong, and that sort of saved my life."

People Talking About ...
Pamela Fryman
Highlights
Pamela Fryman on the shooting style of How I Met Your Mother, and on a typical production week
Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier
Pamela Fryman on her directing style
Pamela Fryman on the production of Santa Barbara, and on becoming a director for the show
Pamela Fryman on interning on The Mike Douglas Show
Pamela Fryman on what she loves about directing, and on fulfilling her dreams
Full Interview

Chapter 1
On interning on The Mike Douglas Show; on her first industry job as an assistant on The John Davidson Show; on working on The New Hollywood Squares
On working on Santa Barbara, and on becoming an assistant director on that show; on the production of Santa Barbara, and on becoming a director for the show; on what she learned from directing Santa Barbara
On finding work as a director; on advice she received from James Burrows; on directing Friends and Cybill
On directing Frasier; on working with David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee on Frasier; on preparing to direct Frasier
On the cast of Frasier; on directing Frasier; on directing Just Shoot Me

Chapter 2
On becoming an executive producer on Just Shoot Me, and on her favorite episodes of the show; on directing Two and a Half Men, and on working with Chuck Lorre on the show; on working with the cast of Two and A Half Men
On directing How I Met Your Mother; on casting How I Met Your Mother; on working with the cast of How I Met Your Mother, including Neil Patrick Harris and Bob Saget
On working with the guest stars of How I Met Your Mother, and on coming into her own as a director; on being the sole director of How I Met Your Mother for its entire run; on her directing style, and on working with the crew of the show
On the few other people who have directed How I Met Your Mother, and on her input into the content of the show; on the shooting style of How I Met Your Mother, and on a typical production week; on the logistics of shooting the show
On shooting specific episodes of How I Met Your Mother; on standards and practices issues on How I Met Your Mother, and on her involvement with post-production on the show; on shooting specific episodes of the show, and on the "Pineapple Incident" episode

Chapter 3
On extending the run of How I Met Your Mother to 9 seasons, and on finding the "mother" for the show; on the end of How I Met Your Mother; on the legacy of How I Met Your Mother
On what she likes about directing pilots; on directing The Odd Couple and One Day at a Time; on how the industry has changed since she started, and on women in the industry
On how technology has impacted directing; on the enduring popularity of the sitcom, and on mentors in her career; on what she loves about directing, and on fulfilling her dreams
On career achievements and regrets; on advice to aspiring directors and producers
Shows

Cybill

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Pamela Fryman on directing Cybill

Frasier

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Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier
Pamela Fryman on working with David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee on Frasier
Pamela Fryman on preparing to direct Frasier
Pamela Fryman on the cast of Frasier
Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier
Pamela Fryman on memorable episodes of Frasier

Friends

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Pamela Fryman on directing Friends

Hollywood Squares, The

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Pamela Fryman on working on The New Hollywood Squares

How I Met Your Mother

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Pamela Fryman on directing How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on casting How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on working with the cast of How I Met Your Mother, including Neil Patrick Harris and Bob Saget
Pamela Fryman on working with the guest stars of How I Met Your Mother, and on coming into her own as a director
Pamela Fryman on being the sole director of How I Met Your Mother for its entire run
Pamela Fryman on working with the crew of How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on the few other people who have directed How I Met Your Mother, and on her input into the content of the show
Pamela Fryman on the shooting style of How I Met Your Mother, and on a typical production week
Pamela Fryman on the logistics of shooting How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on shooting specific episodes of How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on standards and practices issues on How I Met Your Mother, and on her involvement with post-production on the show
Pamela Fryman on shooting the musical episodes of How I Met Your Mother, and on the "Pineapple Incident" episode
Pamela Fryman on extending the run of How I Met Your Mother to 9 seasons, and on finding the "mother" for the show
Pamela Fryman on the final episode of How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on the legacy of How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on a proposed spin-off to How I Met Your Mother

Just Shoot Me!

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Pamela Fryman on directing Just Shoot Me
Pamela Fryman on becoming an executive producer on Just Shoot Me, and on her favorite episodes of the show

Mike Douglas Show, The

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Pamela Fryman on interning on The Mike Douglas Show, and on moving to Los Angeles

One Day at a Time (2017-)

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Pamela Fryman on directing One Day at a Time, and on working with Norman Lear
Pamela Fryman on working with the cast of One Day at a Time, and on rebooting the show

Santa Barbara

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Pamela Fryman on working on Santa Barbara, and on becoming an assistant director on that show
Pamela Fryman on the production of Santa Barbara, and on becoming a director for the show
Pamela Fryman on what she learned from directing Santa Barbara

Two and a Half Men

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Pamela Fryman on directing Two and a Half Men, and on working with Chuck Lorre on the show
Pamela Fryman on working with the cast of Two and a Half Men
Topics

Advice

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Pamela Fryman on advice to aspiring directors and producers

Creative Influences and Inspiration

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Pamela Fryman on the enduring popularity of the sitcom, and on mentors in her career

Diversity in Television

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Pamela Fryman on how the industry has changed since she started, and on women in the industry

Historic Events and Social Change

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Pamela Fryman on how the industry has changed since she started, and on women in the industry

Pivotal Career Moments

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Pamela Fryman on the enduring popularity of the sitcom, and on mentors in her career

Television Industry

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Pamela Fryman on how the industry has changed since she started, and on women in the industry
Pamela Fryman on advice to aspiring directors and producers

Women

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Pamela Fryman on how the industry has changed since she started, and on women in the industry
Professions

Directors

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Pamela Fryman on the style of directing soap operas
Pamela Fryman on finding work as a director
Pamela Fryman on her directing style
Pamela Fryman on what she likes about directing pilots
Pamela Fryman on how technology has impacted directing
Pamela Fryman on what she loves about directing, and on fulfilling her dreams
Pamela Fryman on advice to aspiring directors and producers
Genres

Comedy Series

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Pamela Fryman on directing Friends and Cybill
Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier
Pamela Fryman on directing Just Shoot Me
Pamela Fryman on directing Just Shoot Me and Two and a Half Men
Pamela Fryman on directing How I Met Your Mother
Pamela Fryman on the enduring popularity of the sitcom, and on mentors in her career
Pamela Fryman on directing How I Met Your Mother (Part 2)
Pamela Fryman on directing the One Day at a Time reboot

Daytime/Primetime Serials

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Pamela Fryman on directing Santa Barbara

Game Shows

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Pamela Fryman on working on The New Hollywood Squares

Talk Shows

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Pamela Fryman on working on The Mike Douglas Show and The John Davidson Show
People

David Angell

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Pamela Fryman on working with David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee on Frasier

James Burrows

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Pamela Fryman on advice she got from James Burrows for directing Cafe Americain

Peter Casey

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Pamela Fryman on working with David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee on Frasier

John Davidson

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Pamela Fryman on her first industry job as an assistant on The John Davidson Show

Mike Douglas

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Pamela Fryman on interning on The Mike Douglas Show

Kelsey Grammer

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Pamela Fryman on the cast of Frasier, including Kelsey Grammer

Neil Patrick Harris

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Pamela Fryman on working with the cast of How I Met Your Mother, including Neil Patrick Harris and Bob Saget

Norman Lear

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Pamela Fryman on working with Norman Lear on the One Day at a Time reboot

David Lee

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Pamela Fryman on working with David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee on Frasier

Chuck Lorre

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Pamela Fryman on directing Two and a Half Men, and on working with Chuck Lorre on the show

Bob Saget

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Pamela Fryman on working with the cast of How I Met Your Mother, including Neil Patrick Harris and Bob Saget

All Interviews

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