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Michael A. Zinberg
Michael A. Zinberg (Los Angeles, CA) has enjoyed a multi-faceted career holding decision-making, creative positions in every aspect of prime time and cable television production.
On the Sound Stage, he is an award-winning director, with literally hundreds of hours of shows to his credit, including comedies, dramas and movies of the week. He is the recipient of The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing In Television for a Dramatic Series. The show was Quantum Leap, the episode was Vietnam.
Other shows he has directed include; The Unit, Psych, LOST, Monk, The Practice, Aliens In America, The Wedding Belles, The Return Of Jezebel James, The Gilmore Girls, Eyes, Everybody Loves Raymond, Any Day Now, First Monday, NCIS, Boston Public, Law & Order; Special Victims Unit, The Pretender, JAG, Charmed, Hack, Caroline In The City, Men Behaving Badly and earlier in his career; Taxi, Cheers, Who’s The Boss, WKRP in Cincinnati, Family Ties, Lou Grant, The White Shadow, The Yellow Rose, Reasonable Doubts, Midnight Caller, Coach, L.A. Law, Hooperman and both Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show.
As a writer-producer, the shows on which he worked have won multiple Emmy’s and numerous other awards. Mr. Zinberg himself has been nominated four times, both in comedy and drama. Among the shows he produced and/or wrote; Quantum Leap, JAG, Tequila & Bonetti, earlier The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the entire run of The Bob Newhart Show. He also created, wrote and produced The Yellow Rose, Heart Of The City, and Fathers And Sons.
He wrote the Short Story and produced the MOW For The Very First Time (NBC), which he also directed. He has directed the MOW’s The Commish; In The SkinTrade (ABC), and A Christmas Wedding (Lifetime). He produced the MOW Accidental Meeting (Lifetime), which he directed.
Mr. Zinberg is one of the few members of the creative community who have also held executive positions at two different times with a major network. As Vice President, Comedy Series, he developed Hill Street Blues, Cheers and supervised Facts Of Life for NBC. Later, as President, Creative Affairs, NBC Productions, he ran the studio for the network and supervised Late Night; Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno, and Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Prime Time; Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, Homicide, Life on The Street (Peabody Award Winner), Saturday Morning and movies & mini-Series.
It is, however, his work as a director that Mr. Zinberg is most proud, and his association with the many actors who have received awards for performances/shows he directed them in. Specific among the guest artists are; Bruce Weitz, Midnight Caller, Mercy Me, James Whitmore, Sr., The Practice, Oz, and Marlee Matlin, The Practice, Life Sentence, Season Four Finale.
Mr. Zinberg recently finished his first novel, A Man At Midnight, and between directing assignments, is currently at work on several new projects for a variety of broadcast outlets.
He also advises and coaches people outside the entertainment business through his work at DirectionMZ, a company he founded to educate and improve presentation and performance in today’s multi-media universe. He is closely associated with The Directors Guild Of America. He is a vested member and serves on its Board as an Alternate Member, as a member of the Western Directors Council, as Co-Chair of The Television Creative Rights Committee and as a member of several Contract Negotiating Committees. He is also a Trustee of The Directors Guild Pension, Health & Welfare Fund and serves on its Finance Committee.
Mr. Zinberg is a member of, and participates in, many other professional organizations. He is a Life Member of the Writers Guild of America, West. He is a former member of the steering committee and a current member of the Caucus For Writers, Producers and Directors. He is a trustee of The Caucus Foundation, which funds student films. He is a member of The Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences and has been a member of his Peer Group Executive Committee.
His connection with The University Of Texas at Austin, from which he graduated, goes back many years. He received The Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award By The University Ex-Student Association, of which he is a Life Member. He has spoken at the Annual Communication Week Seminars and given Master Classes in Writing and Directing. He served five three-year terms on the College Of Communication Foundation Advisory Board. In 1994, he was honored by The College Of Communication with the annual Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Of all the accomplishments in his life, he ranks his relationship with his family as his greatest. His wife Leslie, a writer and designer, also a graduate of the University Of Texas, and his sons Rodd, an Artist, and Judd, a Los Angeles businessman, and Judd’s wife Jamie, all share the common belief that what they have is better than anything.