Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television categories of Dramatic Series Night, Comedy Series, Musical Variety, Daytime Serials and Children's Programs for 2004 (January 11, 2005)

LOS ANGELES, CA: Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted and Awards Committee Chairperson Howard Storm today announced the DGA's nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for 2004 in the television categories of Dramatic Series Night, Comedy Series, Musical Variety, Daytime Serials and Children's Programs. The winners of all five categories will be announced at the 57th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

"The 2004 DGA Television Nominees represent the broad range of excellence found in television directing today," said DGA President Michael Apted. "Through the vast reach of television, these twenty-five directors and their teams have used their skills to craft compelling stories to entertain an increasingly diverse, sophisticated and global audience. I'd like to commend them on their superb work and congratulate each of them on their nominations."

Dramatic Series Night

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

J.J. ABRAMS

Lost � Pilot - Part 1 - ABC

Unit Production Manager: Jean Higgins

First Assistant Director: Mary Ellen Woods

Second Assistant Director: Sally Sue Beisel-Lander

Second Second Assistant: Bobbie Blyle

This is Abrams' first nomination.

CHRISTOPHER CHULACK

ER � "Time of Death" - NBC

Unit Production Manager: Tommy Burns

First Assistant Director: Princess O'Mahoney

Second Assistant Director: Ronan O'Connor

Second Second Assistant Directors: Tony Eng, Deborah Greaney

This is Chulack's fourth nomination. He has won the DGA Award in the Dramatic Series Night category twice: in 1996 for "Fear of Flying" (ER) and in 1995 for "Hell and High Water" (ER). He was also nominated in 1997 for "Fathers and Sons" (ER).

WALTER HILL

Deadwood � Pilot - HBO

Unit Production Manager: Gregg Fienberg

First Assistant Director: James Hensz

Second Assistant Director: Kenneth B. Roth

Second Second Assistant Director: Kevin Turley

This is Hill's first nomination.

JOHN PATTERSON

The Sopranos � "All Due Respect" - HBO

Unit Production Managers: Ilene S. Landress, Scott Hornbacher

First Assistant Director: Michael DeCasper

Second Assistant Director: Kristin Cameron Bernstein

Second Second Assistant Director: John Silvestri

DGA Trainee: Charlie Foster

This is Patterson's third nomination. He won the DGA Award for Dramatic Series Night in 2002 for "Whitecaps" (The Sopranos) and was nominated in 2000 for "Funhouse" (The Sopranos).

TIM VAN PATTEN

The Sopranos � "Long Term Parking" - HBO

Unit Production Manager: Henry J. Bronchtein

First Assistant Director: Mark McGann

Second Assistant Director: Noreen Cheleden

Second Second Assistant Director: John Silvestri

DGA Trainee: Charlie Foster

This is Van Patten's fourth nomination. In 2003, he won the DGA Award in the Comedy Series category for "Boy Interrupted" (Sex and the City). In 2002, he was nominated in the Dramatic Series Night category for "Whoever Did This" (The Sopranos). This year, he is also nominated in the Comedy Series category for "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux" (Sex and the City).

Comedy Series

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

BRYAN GORDON

Curb Your Enthusiasm � "The 5 Wood" - HBO

Associate Directors: Dale Stern, Tim Gibbons

Stage Manager: Jonathan Harris

This is Gordon's second nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2002 for "Special Section" (Curb Your Enthusiasm).

CHARLES McDOUGALL

Desperate Housewives � Pilot - ABC

Unit Production Manager: Charles Skouras, III

First Assistant Director: Thomas Burke

Second Assistant Director: Walter Parry, Jr.

Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Melamed

This is McDougall's first nomination.

ARLENE SANFORD

Desperate Housewives �"Pretty Little Picture" - ABC

Unit Production Manager: Charles Skouras, III

First Assistant Director: Warren Turner

Second Assistant Director: Anne Berger

Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Melamed

Additional Second Assistant Director: Tara Nicole Weyr

This is Sanford's first nomination.

TIMOTHY M. VAN PATTEN

Sex and the City � "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux" - HBO

Unit Production Managers: Jane Raab, Margo Myers

First Assistant Director: Bettiann Fishman

Second Assistant Director: Peter Soldo

This is Van Patten's fourth nomination. In 2003, he won the DGA Award in the Comedy Series category for "Boy Interrupted" (Sex and the City). In 2002, he was nominated in the Dramatic Series Night category for "Whoever Did This" (The Sopranos). This year, he is also nominated in the Dramatic Series Night category for "Long Term Parking" (The Sopranos).

ROBERT B. WEIDE

Curb Your Enthusiasm � "The Carpool Lane" - HBO

Associate Directors: Dale Stern, Tim Gibbons

Stage Managers: Jonathan Harris, Mark Hansson

This is Weide's first nomination.

Musical Variety

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

RON de MORAES

Great Performances - Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival - PBS

Associate Director: Laura Lyons

Stage Manager: Peter M. Margolis

This is de Moraes' first nomination.

JERRY FOLEY

Late Show with David Letterman � Episode #2187 - CBS

Associate Directors: Randi Grossack, Jessica Santini

Stage Managers: Biff Henderson, Frank Comito, Mark Dicso

This is Foley's sixth nomination, all for Late Show with David Letterman. He was nominated in 2002 for episode #1876, in 2001 for episode #1634, in 2000 for episode #1527, in 1999 for episode #1294, and in 1998 for episode # 958.

BRUCE GOWERS

Genius: A Night For Ray Charles - CBS

Associate Directors: Laura Lyons, Paige Rabban Hadley, Leslie Wilson

Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Valdez Flagg, Harve Levine, Dency Nelson, Jacqueline Stathis, Debbie Williams

This is Gowers' second nomination. He was also nominated for Fleetwood Mac Reunion Special in 1997.

LOUIS J. HORVITZ

The 76th Academy Awards - ABC

Associate Directors: James Tanker, Ron Andreassen, Mike Polito, Richard Preuss, Deborah Read, Sharon Taylor, Christine Bradley, Timothy H. Kettle, Barbara J. Roche, David Kelmachter, Anne Rickey, Lauren J. Singer, Ronni Fisher, Christine Clark

Stage Managers: Garry W. Hood, Denny Barry, John Esposito, Valdez Flagg, Jeffry Gitter, Gary Natoli, Dency Nelson, Vincent Poxon, Jason Seligman, Rob Sellers, Jr., Doug Smith, Jacqueline Stathis, David Wader, Steve Burgess, Eric Tignini

This is Horvitz's eleventh DGA Award nomination. He received his first in 1985 for Live Aid Concert. He was nominated again in 1993 for The Kennedy Center Honors, in 1995 for Sinatra: 80 Years My Way, and in 1997 for The Kennedy Center Honors, for which he took home the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety. He received his next three DGA nominations for The 70th Annual Academy Awards, The 71st Annual Academy Awards and The 72nd Annual Academy Awards. He garnered another nomination in 2001 for The Kennedy Center Honors, and again in 2002 and 2003 for The 74th and 75th Annual Academy Awards, respectively.

CHUCK O'NEIL

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Comedy Central

Associate Director: Paul A.J. Pennolino

Stage Manager: Craig Spinney

This is O'Neil's second nomination. He was nominated for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2003.

Daytime Serials

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

BRUCE BARRY

Guiding Light � Episode #14321 - CBS

Associate Director: Tracey Bryggman

Stage Managers: Ann Vettel, Adam Reist

Production Associate: Jan Conklin

This is Barry's fifth nomination for Daytime Serials. His previous nominations � in 2000, 1996, 1995 and 1993 � were all for episodes of Guiding Light.

JOSEPH BEHAR

General Hospital � Episode #10,461 'The 25 Million Dollar Auction' - ABC

Associate Directors: Christine Magarian, Ron Cates, Penny Pengra, Pete Fillmore

Stage Managers: Craig McManus, Kathy Ladd

Production Associates: Didy Van Cleave, Lisa Kaseff, Christine Cooper

This is Behar's fourth nomination for General Hospital; his previous nominations were in 1998, 1995 and 1993. Behar won the DGA Award (pre-category) for Ernie Kovacs Special in 1961.

CHRISTOPHER GOUTMAN

As The World Turns � Episode #12,166 - CBS

Associate Directors: Jennifer Pepperman, Carol Sedwick, Michael Kerner

Stage Managers: Nancy Barron, Jennifer Blood

Production Associate: Jennifer Schacor, Brett A. Hellman, Alexandra Verner Roalsvig

This is Goutman's second nomination. He was also nominated in 1997 for episode #10,446 of As the World Turns.

BRIAN MERTES & MATT LAGLE

Guiding Light � Episode #14322 - CBS

Associate Director: Ilene K. Frankel

Stage Managers: Ann Vettel, Adam Reist

Production Associate: Charles Grayauskie

Mertes was also nominated in 1993 for Guiding Light, episode #11563. This is Lagle's first nomination.

CONAL O'BRIEN

All My Children � Episode #8768 - ABC

Associate Directors: Barbara Simmons, Shirley Simmons, Anthony Pascarelli

Stage Managers: Rusty Swope, Penny Bergman, Martin Fritz Brekeller

Production Associates: Jennifer Minda, Marika Brancato

This is O'Brien's second nomination. In 2000, he was nominated in the Daytime Serials category for All My Children, episode #7969.

Children's Programs

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

DUWAYNE DUNHAM

Tiger Cruise - Disney Channel

Unit Production Manager: Sanford Hampton

First Assistant Director: Mark Hansson

Second Assistant Director: Jeff Shiffman

Second Second Assistant Director: Anna Notarides

This is Dunham's first nomination.

STUART GILLARD

Going to the Mat - Disney Channel

Unit Production Manager: Donald Schain

First Assistant Director: Matias Alvarez

Second Assistant Director: Miriam Footer

Second Second Assistant Director: Christopher Barnes

This is Gillard's first nomination.

PAUL HOEN

Searching for David's Heart - ABC Family

Unit Production Manager: Iddo Lampton Enochs

First Assistant Director: Ann C. Salzer

Second Assistant Director: Batou A. Chandler

Second Second Assistant Director: George Bott

This is Hoen's second nomination. He was previously nominated in 2000 for "Take My Sister ... Please" (Even Stevens).

JEREMY KAGAN

Crown Heights - Showtime

This is Kagan's first DGA Award nomination in a directing category. He was the 2004 recipient of the DGA's Robert B. Aldrich Award for extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its members.

LEE ROSE

Jack - Showtime

This is Rose's first nomination.