“[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."

    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 discusses 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.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Pamela Fryman

    Pamela Fryman on the shooting style of How I Met Your Mother, and on a typical production week

    04:33
    Thumbnail of Pamela Fryman

    Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier

    04:13
    Thumbnail of Pamela Fryman

    Pamela Fryman on her directing style

    01:18
    Thumbnail of Pamela Fryman

    Pamela Fryman on the production of Santa Barbara, and on becoming a director for the show

    03:25
    Thumbnail of Pamela Fryman

    Pamela Fryman on interning on The Mike Douglas Show

    06:45
    Thumbnail of Pamela Fryman

    Pamela Fryman on what she loves about directing, and on fulfilling her dreams

    02:06
    Play 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

    12:17

    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

    10:32

    On finding work as a director; on advice she received from James Burrows; on directing Friends and Cybill

    07:50

    On directing Frasier; on working with David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee on Frasier; on preparing to direct Frasier

    06:58

    On the cast of Frasier; on directing Frasier; on directing Just Shoot Me

    10:45

    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

    04:30

    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

    11:05

    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

    11:24

    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

    12:11

    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

    09:12

    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

    14:41

    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

    15:32

    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

    04:08

    On career achievements and regrets; on advice to aspiring directors and producers

    02:45

    Cybill

    Pamela Fryman on directing Cybill

    02:25

    Frasier

    Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier

    02:09

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

    01:04

    Pamela Fryman on preparing to direct Frasier

    01:19

    Pamela Fryman on the cast of Frasier

    02:27

    Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier

    02:39

    Pamela Fryman on memorable episodes of Frasier

    01:34

    Friends

    Pamela Fryman on directing Friends

    01:10

    Hollywood Squares, The

    Pamela Fryman on working on The New Hollywood Squares

    01:12

    How I Met Your Mother

    Pamela Fryman on directing How I Met Your Mother

    04:11

    Pamela Fryman on casting How I Met Your Mother

    01:32

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

    05:22

    Pamela Fryman on working with the guest stars of How I Met Your Mother, and on coming into her own as a director

    02:51

    Pamela Fryman on being the sole director of How I Met Your Mother for its entire run

    03:41

    Pamela Fryman on working with the crew of How I Met Your Mother

    03:34

    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

    04:30

    Pamela Fryman on the shooting style of How I Met Your Mother, and on a typical production week

    04:33

    Pamela Fryman on the logistics of shooting How I Met Your Mother

    02:57

    Pamela Fryman on shooting specific episodes of How I Met Your Mother

    04:04

    Pamela Fryman on standards and practices issues on How I Met Your Mother, and on her involvement with post-production on the show

    00:53

    Pamela Fryman on shooting the musical episodes of How I Met Your Mother, and on the "Pineapple Incident" episode

    04:13

    Pamela Fryman on extending the run of How I Met Your Mother to 9 seasons, and on finding the "mother" for the show

    05:29

    Pamela Fryman on the final episode of How I Met Your Mother

    05:30

    Pamela Fryman on the legacy of How I Met Your Mother

    00:47

    Pamela Fryman on a proposed spin-off to How I Met Your Mother

    02:53

    Just Shoot Me!

    Pamela Fryman on directing Just Shoot Me

    04:03

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

    01:30

    Mike Douglas Show, The

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

    06:45

    One Day at a Time (2017-20)

    Pamela Fryman on directing One Day at a Time, and on working with Norman Lear

    04:26

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

    02:47

    Santa Barbara

    Pamela Fryman on working on Santa Barbara, and on becoming an assistant director on that show

    03:30

    Pamela Fryman on the production of Santa Barbara, and on becoming a director for the show

    03:25

    Pamela Fryman on what she learned from directing Santa Barbara

    01:47

    Two and a Half Men

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

    01:41

    Pamela Fryman on working with the cast of Two and a Half Men

    01:18

    Advice

    Pamela Fryman on advice to aspiring directors and producers

    01:23

    Creative Influences and Inspiration

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

    01:15

    Historic Events and Social Change

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

    03:49

    Pivotal Career Moments

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

    01:15

    Representation on Television

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

    03:49

    Television Industry

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

    03:49

    Pamela Fryman on advice to aspiring directors and producers

    01:23

    Women

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

    03:49

    Directors

    Pamela Fryman on the style of directing soap operas

    01:49

    Pamela Fryman on finding work as a director

    03:03

    Pamela Fryman on her directing style

    01:18

    Pamela Fryman on what she likes about directing pilots

    02:13

    Pamela Fryman on how technology has impacted directing

    00:47

    Pamela Fryman on what she loves about directing, and on fulfilling her dreams

    02:06

    Pamela Fryman on advice to aspiring directors and producers

    01:23

    Comedy Series

    Pamela Fryman on directing Friends and Cybill

    03:35

    Pamela Fryman on directing Frasier

    11:13

    Pamela Fryman on directing Just Shoot Me

    04:03

    Pamela Fryman on directing Just Shoot Me and Two and a Half Men

    04:30

    Pamela Fryman on directing How I Met Your Mother

    43:54

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

    01:15

    Pamela Fryman on directing How I Met Your Mother (Part 2)

    14:41

    Pamela Fryman on directing the One Day at a Time reboot

    07:14

    Daytime/Primetime Serials

    Pamela Fryman on directing Santa Barbara

    10:32

    Game Shows

    Pamela Fryman on working on The New Hollywood Squares

    01:12

    Talk Shows

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

    08:41

    David Angell

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

    01:04

    James Burrows

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

    03:37

    Peter Casey

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

    01:04

    John Davidson

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

    01:56

    Mike Douglas

    Pamela Fryman on interning on The Mike Douglas Show

    06:45

    Kelsey Grammer

    Pamela Fryman on the cast of Frasier, including Kelsey Grammer

    02:27

    Neil Patrick Harris

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

    05:22

    Norman Lear

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

    00:54

    David Lee

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

    01:04

    Chuck Lorre

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

    01:41

    Bob Saget

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

    05:22

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