Many directors have done their best or most famous work on television, even though most of them have also done great, successful work on the big screen. When it comes to successful andgreat television shows, directing plays a huge part. Great directing captures the moments that make viewers fall in love with a show and make what the writers and showrunners envisioned for the story a reality. Even somehit television showsthat might not have the strongest writing or enticing characters, can draw in viewers with great directing.
Some ofthe best directorsin the industry have worked across film, television, and even music. While each episode of a television series might have a different director, there have been standouts among them that have stuck around and directed the entire season or directed a few key episodes in the series.
10Ben Stiller
Severance (2022)
Ben Stiller has held just about every creative role in the entertainment industry from acting, writing, producing, and directing.He started working as a director in the late 80sand his directing career took off withThe Cable Guy. He’s also directed hit movies fromTropic Thunder,Zoolander&Zoolander 2. While Stiller has some notable movie directing roles, his directing work has also shined in theApple TV+ show,Severance. While the comedy movies he has worked on are known for being over-the-top and offbeat, his work onSeveranceis drastically different.
Ben Stiller Finally Broke A 7-Year Acting Hiatus In 2024, But His Work In This 96% Sci-Fi Show In 2025 Is Even More Exciting
Ben Stiller’s role in developing a sci-fi show with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes is even more exciting than his return to acting after a seven-year break.
Severanceis a psychological,sci-fi TV showabout a group of office workers living double lives, and they can’t remember anything about their lives inside or outside of work. The second season premiered in January 2025 and is already a hit for Apple TV+.Stiller has directed six episodes ofSeverance, including the pilot and the first episode of season 2. Stiller’s directing style includes meticulously crafting an authentic world and introspective camera work.
The show follows a minimalistic, stark style, and Stiller is able to capture the cold and introspectiveness incredibly well. While very different than his feature films, there are still layers of offbeat humor that audiences have seen in his work before.
9Cary Joji Fukunaga
True Detective (2014)
Cary Joji Fukunaga has held directing roles in the industry since the early 2000s. He has directed the moviesNo Time to DieandBeasts of No Nation. He landed his first television directing role for thefirst season ofTrue Detectivein 2014.True Detectivefollows two detectives tracking down a serial killer.True Detectiveis known as one of the best drama television showsof all time partially due to its incredible direction. Fukunaga described his directing style toInterview Magazine, saying he likes to put audiences at ease first and then surprise them.
On top of the stellar cast, Fukunaga’s directorial take on the series and the incredible storytelling have made it one ofHBO’s most popular shows.Fukunaga directed the entire first season ofTrue Detective. His directing style on the feature film side has been incorporated into his TV work since as he noted, he likes to subvert audiences' expectations, and he was able to accomplish that withTrue Detective.
He won the 2014 Emmy for Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series forTrue Detective, Season 1, Episode 4,Who Goes There. He has also directed four episodes of the TV mini-series,Masters of the Air,an Apple TV+ show about World War II.
8Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson began his directing career in film andtelevision in the 90s. He has directed huge blockbusters, includingLooper,Star Wars Episode VIII - The Last Jedi,Knives Out, andGlass Onion. The first TV series he directed was an episode ofTerriersin 2010. While he has worked on numerous movies with a lot of action and drama and is among Hollywood’s most prominent filmmakers, some of his best, most influential work comes fromBreaking Bad.
Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias,” directed by Rian Johnson, is the only TV episode with a 10/10 score on IMDb.
Johnson’s notable directorial television roles include directing three episodes ofBreaking Badfrom 2010-2013. He won a DGA award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series forBreaking Bad, season 5, episode 4,Fifty-One. Johnson has also directed three episodes ofPeacock’s TV show,Poker Face, released in 2023.Johnson is known for his attention to detail and modern takeon his filmmaking, allowing his directing work to shine through his movies and television.
7Mike Flanagan
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Mike Flanagan has been directing movies and television shows since the early 2000s. His directorial roles include working on some of thebest horror movies, including,Oculus,Absentia, andHush.He has dominated the horror spaceand has even been celebrated by Stephen King for his successes. While he has also directed movies based on Stephen King stories, including,Doctor SleepandGerald’s Game,his great directing work extends beyond big pictures.
Mike Flanagan Shares A Cryptic Tease About His “Unique Takes” On Carrie & The Exorcist
Horror director Mike Flanagan teases that his upcoming Carrie TV show and Exorcist movie will both be quite timely, building more anticipation.
Flanagan created the horror television showsThe Haunting of Hill House,The Haunting of Bly Manor,Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, andThe Fall of the House of Usher.He directed all episodes ofThe Haunting of Hills Houseand directed multiple episodes for his other TV shows.Flanagan’s directorial work focuses on character-driven storiesand intense narratives, and he incorporates a haunting atmosphere in each of his projects.
6Ken Kwapis
The Office (2005)
Ken Kewapis has been an industry creative since the 80s and started his career in TV early on, directing TV shows and TV movies. He has directedhuge television showssuch asFreaks and Geeks,ER,Malcolm in The Middle,The Office,Santa Clarita Diet, andSpace Force.He has been nominated for several Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series forThe Office, for the episodeGay Witch Huntin 2006.
On top of his successful TV directing career, he has directed movies, includingThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,He’s Just Not That Into You, andLicense to Wed. Kwapis has worked in the comedy space for a long time andhis work shines in television shows. His directing style includes bringing something new to the story and preserving the emotions in a scene. He further explains his directing style and career in his novel,But What I Really Want To Do Is Direct.
5Jason Bateman
Ozark (2017)
Jason Bateman is alsoa multi-talented creative who is known for his acting rolesinArrested Development, Ozark, The Outsider,and he has starred in multiplerom-com movies. He began his TV directing career in the late 80s with the TV showValerie. From there, he directed other TV shows, including an episode ofFamily Matters,Brothers Keeper, multiple episodes ofFor Your Love, and he even directed an episode ofArrested Developmentin 2004.
“Bateman also made history when he directed episodes of The Hogan Family in the 1980s at just 18 years old. At the time, he was the youngest member of the Directors Guild of America. Bateman directed three episodes of the show, and as an actor today, he often pulls double-duty as a director too.”
Amanda Bruce -Jason Bateman’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows
Bateman’s career has been highlighted over the last couple of years with hit drama TV shows, andhis directing style has been noted as personalsince he incorporates his actor’s POV into his directing style. He directed two episodes ofThe Outsider,including the pilot episode, and playing the role of Terry Maitland. He’s directed nine episodes over the four seasons ofOzark, and playing the role of Marty Byrde. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the fourth season ofOzarkfor the episode,A Hard Way To Go.
4Johan Renck
Chernobyl (2019)
Johan Renckbegan his directing career with music videosstarting in the 90s, working with huge artists such as Madonna, Beyonce, and Robbie Williams. He directed his first episode of television in 2010, directing an episode ofThe Walking Dead. He also directed episodes ofBreaking Badfor seasons two, three, and four. Renck’s directing style includes looking beyond a character’s surface-level qualities, going deeper, and finding the darkness.
Renck’s TV directing career took off with directing shows likeBates Motel,Vikings, andBloodline. He has directed one of HBO’s most popular original shows,Chernobyl, an intense drama TV show about the nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine.He directed all five episodes ofChernobyl. His directing style shines inChernobyl,where there’s so much darkness and pain, and he’s able to bring forth every single character’s deeper emotions. He won an Emmy for the series for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie.
3Jean-Marc Vallée
Sharp Objects (2018)
Jean-Marc Vallée was one of the best TV directorsin the industry and, unfortunately, he passed away in 2021 but has left behind an amazing legacy. He started his directing career by directing music videos in the 80s. He began his TV directing work with the TV series,Strangersin 1996. He also directed incredible films likeDallas Buyers Club,Wildwith Reese Witherspoon, andDemolition.Jake Gyllenhaal, who was inDemolition, commented on Vallée’s directing style forMovieMaker, saying, “Everything is filmed in respect to emotional instinct.
Vallée’s TV directing career took off withBig Little Lies, directing all the episodes from Season One.He directed the entire series ofSharp Objects, the hit TV show about a struggling reporter investigating the murders of two girls from her hometown. Vallée’s directing style was known for its natural techniques, style, and authentic portrayal of his characters.Big Little LiesandSharp Objectswere loved by viewers because they were enticing, thrilling TV shows that Vallée brought to life with his creative directing approach.
2Mark Mylod
Succession (2018)
Mark Mylod actually began his career directly in TV. He has been directing TV since the 90s and his TV career took off when he started directingEntourage, an early 2000s series about Vincent Chase, an actor navigating Hollywood life. Mylod started directing for the show in season three and directed 23 episodes of the show.
Mylod has also directed six episodes ofGames of Thrones, 12 episodes ofShameless, and 16 episodes ofSuccession. On the feature film side, he directed the popular horror movie,The Menu, and the comedy movie,The Big White. His upcoming directing projects include the newHarry PotterTV series.His directing style includes bringing out and showcasing his characters' raw emotionsand isn’t afraid to use different visual styles for each of his projects.
1Issa Lopez
True Detective
Issa Lopez has been directing since the 90s. Her feature film,Tigers Are Not Afraid,released in 2017, is a horror movie about a group of orphaned children who have to survive the streets in the middle of a drug war in Mexico. Before coming on as the director forTrue Detective: Night Country, she directed two episodes ofBritannia. Although a newer director for TV,Lopez has proven she has her own unique directing voice.
Jodie Foster Finally Ends A 10-Year True Detective Disappointment That Matthew McConaughey Began
Jodie Foster’s 2024 Emmy Win for True Detective has ended a ten-year drought for the show, beginning with Matthew McConaughey in season 1.
Issa Lopez was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie. Lopez’s directing style emphasizes the character’s perspective. She’s able to capture the tension beautifully and blend horror and fantasy.Her style has translated over to her TV worksinceTrue Detective: Night Countryembodies the same elements and keeps the audience guessing if the show they are watching is more grounded in reality or a dark, supernatural tale.
