Jonathan Pontell is a

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

, producer and editor. A native of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, Pontell attended the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by ...

, studying film and television. After graduation, he worked as a film editor on features such as ''

The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...

'' and long-form documentaries for both CBS News and

public television Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

.ABC Medianet, Jonathan Pontell, Executive Producer. . In 1981 Pontell relocated to Los Angeles and edited episodic television series including ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

Hooperman ''Hooperman'' is an American comedy-drama television series which aired on ABC from September 23, 1987, to July 19, 1989. The show centered on the professional and personal life of San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman, played by John R ...

, Northern Exposure'', and ''

Moonlighting Moonlighting may refer to: * Side job A side job, also informally called a side hustle or side gig, is an additional job that a person takes in addition to their primary job in order to supplement their income. Side jobs may be done out of nec ...

''. Working on ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'', he began a 19-year association with

David E. Kelley David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney, known as the creator of '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', '' Picket Fences'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''The Practice'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Publi ...

. Pontell served as director and producer on ''

Picket Fences ''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS televis ...

'' and ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in ...

''. From 1997 to 2000, he also directed multiple episodes of '' Ally McBeal''. Pontell produced and directed for David E. Kelley on ''

Boston Public ''Boston Public'' is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. Set in Boston, the series centers on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school in the Boston Public Schools district. It feature ...

'' from 2000 to 2004. He was an executive producer of Kelley's first reality program, ''

The Law Firm ''The Law Firm'' is an American reality competition series which aired on NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Ent ...

''. He was also the director and executive producer for the ABC series '' What About Brian?'' Pontell has received multiple awards, including four Emmy Awards, two

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

and two

George Foster Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

Credits

Director

*''

'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *'' Ally McBeal'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *''

Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, a ...

'' (TV series) *''

What About Brian ''What About Brian?'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J. J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a mid-season replacement and concluded ...

'' (TV series)

Producer

*''

'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *'' Ally McBeal'' (TV series) *''

Ally An ally is a member of an alliance. Ally may also refer to: Place names * Ally, Cantal, a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France * Ally, County Tyrone, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Ally, Haute-Loire, a commun ...

'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *'' The Wedding Bells'' (TV series) Legally Mad (TV pilot)

Editor

*''

'' (TV series) *''

Beverly Hills Buntz ''Beverly Hills Buntz'' is an American comedy-drama television series and a spin-off of the acclaimed police drama ''Hill Street Blues''. Beverly Hills Buntz aired on NBC from November 5, 1987, to April 22, 1988. Overview The show was a half-h ...

'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *'' Northern Exposure'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *''

'' (TV series) *'' Ally McBeal'' (TV series)

References

External links

* Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American television directors American television producers {{tv-director-stub