Pamela Gail Fryman (born August 19, 1959) is an American

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

director and producer. She was the principal director of the television series ''

How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom created by Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014, follows main char ...

'', directing 196 of the show's 208 episodes.

Early life

Fryman was born and grew up in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Career

Fryman got her first job on ''The John Davidson Show'' as an assistant to the talent coordinator, and went on to be a booth production assistant and secretary on '' Santa Barbara'', eventually moving up to assistant director (AD), and director. In 1993, producer Peter Noah, with whom she had worked on the game show '' Dream House'', gave Fryman a chance to direct an episode of the short-lived sitcom '' Café Americain''. These would be the first stepping stones toward a long and successful career. Before her directing career blossomed, Fryman pursued stage directing. On the set of ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...

'', rehearsal resembled a play staging, which is exactly what creator and executive producer David Lee had in mind when he hired her. Fryman directed 34 episodes of the show from seasons four through eight. She also became main director on ''

Just Shoot Me! ''Just Shoot Me!'' is an American sitcom television series originally aired on NBC from March 4, 1997, to November 26, 2003, with a total of 145 half-hour episodes spanning seven seasons, including 3 episodes aired on syndication. The show, cre ...

'', directing 94 out of the 148 episodes the show aired. Fryman directed the majority of the episodes of ''

''. Show creator Craig Thomas praised her communication skills, saying, "She makes everyone feel they've been heard and respected and she can connect with anyone." Though Fryman's original career plan did not include directing (she figured she would "follow in her father's footsteps in merchandising"), she has grown to realize that directing is her forte and passion. In ''Variety'' magazine, Fryman said that continuing to direct ''How I Met Your Mother'' is her fantasy realized. In 2014, she officiated the wedding of ''How I Met Your Mother'' star

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...

and David Burtka, who played a side role in the show. She also directed 19 out of the 30 episodes of '' How I Met Your Father''. She achieved the milestone of directing her 500th episode of television in 2016 with the third episode of the third season of '' The Odd Couple''.

Awards

Fryman has received recognition from the

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the Television in the United States, television industry in the United S ...

also known as the (ATAS), the

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), also known as the National Television Academy until 2007, is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of televisio ...

, the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of Film director, film and Television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dir ...

, Goldderby.com, the Online Film & Television Association also known as the (OFTA), and the

Women in Film Women are involved in the film industry in all roles, including as film directors, actor, actresses, cinematographers, film producers, film criticism, film critics, and other film industry professions, though women have been underrepresented in ...

organization. * 1990 Won - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team ('' Santa Barbara'') * 1991 Won - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team (''Santa Barbara'') * 1998 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series (" Halloween (Part 1)") (''

'') * 1999 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series (" Two Girls for Every Boy") (''

'') * 2000 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series (" The Flight Before Christmas") (''Frasier'') * 2001 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series (" And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon (Part 1 & 2)") (''Frasier'') * 2009 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (''How I Met Your Mother'') * 2011 Nominated - Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Direction in a Comedy Series (''How I Met Your Mother'') * 2011 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (" Subway Wars") (''How I Met Your Mother'') * 2011 Won - Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Award, Dorothy Arzner Directors Award * 2020 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special ('' Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"'') (shared with Andy Fisher)

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fryman, Pamela Living people American television directors Television producers from Pennsylvania American women television producers Daytime Emmy Award winners American women television directors Businesspeople from Philadelphia 21st-century American women 1959 births