Reza Sayed Badiyi (also known as Reza Badiei; Persian: رضا بدیعی; April 17, 1930 – August 20, 2011) was an Iranian-born American film and television director. His credits also include developing the

title sequence A title screen (also called an opening screen or intro) is the method by which films or television show, television programmes present their title and key filmmaking, production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often an op ...

montages for '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the Spy fiction, secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Bu ...

'', and ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...

''.

Early life and education

Badiyi was born April 17, 1930, in Arak in

Pahlavi Iran The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...

. His parents were from

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

, Iran. He graduated from the Academy of Drama in Iran. He worked with the Audio Visual Department in Tehran, (Honarhayeh Zeeba), and completed 24 documentary films, prior to leaving the country. Badiyi moved to the United States in 1955, in order to continue his film studies at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

. He was invited by the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

to continue his studies in America after winning an international film award for ''Flood in Khuzestan''. He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in filmmaking.

Career

Badiyi moved to Kansas to work for Calvin Co., an industrial film production company. Badiyi often worked with

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...

. Badiyi was assistant director on the low-budget 1957 film '' The Delinquents'', which marked Altman's feature film debut as a director and the

cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...

horror film ''

Carnival of Souls ''Carnival of Souls'' is a 1962 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young woman ...

'', made in 1962. Early in his career, he directed episodes of ''

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', '' The Incredible Hulk'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'', ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'', ''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a '' Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'' and '' Police Squad!''. He also directed the definitive "fashion show" sequence of the third season of the popular '' Doris Day Show''. Perhaps his most famous work was crafting the briskly-edited title visualisation (i.e., the opening and closing credits with theme music) for the original ''Hawaii Five-O''. There were lowlights, as well, including directing the unsold pilot for ''Inside O.U.T.'', a spy-oriented comedy executive produced by Harry Ackerman and starring

Bill Daily William Edward Daily (August 30, 1927 – September 4, 2018) was an American actor and comedian known for his sitcom work as Major Roger Healey on ''I Dream of Jeannie'' and Howard Borden on ''The Bob Newhart Show''. Early life and early ...

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s and has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New York ...

, a then-up-and-coming

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played a ...

and a chimp for

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. ''Screen Gems'' has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the de ...

in 1971. In the 1980s and 1990s, he directed episodes of ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera created by Earl Hamner Jr. that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Cha ...

'', '' Cagney & Lacey'', '' Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

'', '' La Femme Nikita'', '' Sliders'' and ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...

and Early Edition.'' Badiyi set a Directors Guild of America record for directing the most hours of episodic series television ever.

Awards

In the mid-1970s he received the Golden Ribbon of Art award from the reigning

Shah of Iran The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...

. He later won various awards, including the

Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an American award for film and television writing, presented to writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful manner. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser—also the founder of ...

for an episode of ''Cagney and Lacey''. He was honored by 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 ...

for directing over 400 hours of television. In May 2010, Badiyi was honored at UCLA for his 80th birthday and his 60th year in the entertainment industry. In 2009, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Noor Iranian Film Festival in Los Angeles, and after he died in 2011 the festival named the award after him.

Personal life

He was the father of three children. Badiyi's third and last marriage was to actress Tania Harley from 1987 until his death in 2011, with whom he had two daughters, Alexis and Natasha. His second marriage was to actress and writer Barbara Turner; with whom he had one daughter, Mina. By this marriage to Turner he was the stepfather of actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She re ...

and Carrie Morrow. His first marriage was to Gwendolyn Davis which ended in divorce.

Death

Badiyi died in Los Angeles, California on August 20, 2011, at the age of 81, having struggled with various health issues.

Filmography

Director

This is list showing a selection of entertainment directed by Reza Badiyi, in order by start date. He directed more than 430 television episodes from 1963 onward. * 2006 – ''The Way Back Home'' * 2003 – '' She Spies'' * 1999 – '' Early Edition'' * 1999–1998 – '' Sliders'' * 1999–1998 – '' Mortal Kombat: Conquest'' * 1997 – ''

La Femme Nikita (TV series) ''La Femme Nikita'' (, literally "The Woman Nikita"; called ''Nikita'' in Canada) is a Canadian action-drama television series based on the French film of the same name by Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a Fre ...

'' * 1997 – ''

'' * 1997 – '' The Cape'' * 1996 – ''

'' * 1994–1996 – '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' * 1992–1994 – '' In the Heat of the Night'' * 1985–1986 – '' T. J. Hooker'' * 1982–1988 – '' Cagney & Lacey'' * 1982-1984 – '' Joe Dancer'' * 1978–1980 – '' The Incredible Hulk'' * 1977–1979 – ''

'' * 1976–1978 – ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police ...

'' * 1974 – ''

'' * 1970–1971 – ''

The Doris Day Show ''The Doris Day Show'' is an American sitcom which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. The series is remembered for its multiple format and cast chang ...

'' * 1969–1979 – '' Hawaii Five-O'' * 1969–1972 – '' Mission: Impossible'' * 1969 – '' The Good Guys''

References

External links

* *
OCPC Magazine
Cover story: Reza Badiei - The last TV tycoon
Veteran TV director Reza Badiei feted
{{DEFAULTSORT:Badiei, Reza 1930 births 2011 deaths Film directors from Los Angeles American television directors Iranian emigrants to the United States Syracuse University alumni People from Arak, Iran