Robert Neil Butler (January 21, 1927 – July 4, 2010) was a physician, gerontologist, psychiatrist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who was the first director of the National Institute on Aging. Butler is known for his work on the social needs and the rights of the elderly and for his research on healthy aging and the dementias.
January 21, 1927, New York City, New York, United States
Died
July 4, 2010, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Place Of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
Profession
Director, Writer, Miscellaneous Crew
Education
Columbia University
Awards
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
Star Sign
Scorpio
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Quote
1
[on making Hill Street Blues (1981)] I was tired of clean speeches, where people waited until others stopped talking, tired of clean shots-I didn't fucking want it. In my mind, the show came from the congestion of the material, the congestion of the characters. I remember the camera operator cleaning up shots, in the classic Hollywood style that I had begun to hate, and I had to brainwash him to let it be a mess. I wanted it messy. The trick was to make it look seemingly real, live, raunchy, congested. We jammed the streets with derelict cars and graffiti. We suggested Eastern-city crunch very well. The multiple stories added to the congestion, so I ran with it. There's a pair of people arguing here, something developing over there. My idea was that we were putting on binoculars and panning around at the people, keeping it fluid, rather than cutting. That really worked well for that series.
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Fact
1
Michael Zinberg credits Butler with having the ruthless, adventurous, innovative vision that produced the powerful pilot episode of Hill Street Blues (1981) that sold NBC, and network president Fred Silverman on green-lighting this landmark urban-cop series.
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Sisters
1991-1996
TV Series executive consultant - 120 episodes
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993-1994
TV Series executive consultant - 20 episodes
Midnight Caller
1989-1991
TV Series executive consultant - 44 episodes
Remington Steele
1982-1983
TV Series executive consultant - 21 episodes
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Where Do the Balloons Go?
2009
Short
The Division
2001
TV Series 1 episode
St. Michael's Crossing
1999
TV Series
Glory, Glory
1998
TV Movie
Turbulence
1997
White Mile
1994
TV Movie
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993
TV Series 2 episodes
Sirens
1993
TV Series 2 episodes
Sisters
1991
TV Series 2 episodes
The Brotherhood
1991
TV Movie
Midnight Caller
1988
TV Series 1 episode
Out of Time
1988
TV Movie
Out on a Limb
1987
TV Mini-Series 2 episodes
On the Edge
1987
TV Movie
Star Trek
1966-1986
TV Series 3 episodes
Long Time Gone
1986
TV Movie
The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue
1985
Video short archive footage
Our Family Honor
1985
TV Series 1 episode
Moonlighting
1985
TV Series 1 episode
Concrete Beat
1984
TV Movie
Up the Creek
1984
Remington Steele
1982-1983
TV Series 5 episodes
Hill Street Blues
1981
TV Series 6 episodes
Insight
1966-1981
TV Series 4 episodes
Underground Aces
1981
Night of the Juggler
1980
Hot Lead and Cold Feet
1978
Lacy and the Mississippi Queen
1978
TV Movie
A Question of Guilt
1978
TV Movie
In the Glitter Palace
1977
TV Movie
Mayday at 40,000 Feet!
1976
TV Movie
James Dean
1976
TV Movie
Dark Victory
1976
TV Movie
The Blue Knight
1975
TV Series 1 episode
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1965-1975
TV Series 12 episodes
Strange New World
1975
TV Movie
Black Bart
1975
TV Movie
The Ultimate Thrill
1974
McMasters of Sweetwater
1974
TV Movie
Columbo
1973-1974
TV Series 2 episodes
The Waltons
1972-1973
TV Series 3 episodes
The Blue Knight
1973
TV Movie
Roll Out
1973
TV Series 1 episode
Kung Fu
1973
TV Series 4 episodes
Doc Elliot
1973
TV Series 1 episode
Hawaii Five-O
1973
TV Series 1 episode
Gunsmoke
1967-1972
TV Series 3 episodes
Now You See Him, Now You Don't
1972
Nichols
1972
TV Series 1 episode
Death Takes a Holiday
1971
TV Movie
Scandalous John
1971
The Barefoot Executive
1971
Lancer
1969-1970
TV Series 4 episodes
Then Came Bronson
1970
TV Series 1 episode
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
1969
Guns in the Heather
1969
The Outcasts
1969
TV Series 1 episode
CBS Playhouse
1969
TV Series 1 episode
Mission: Impossible
1969
TV Series 1 episode
The Felony Squad
1966-1968
TV Series 3 episodes
Cimarron Strip
1968
TV Series 2 episodes
Ironside
1968
TV Series 1 episode
Judd for the Defense
1967
TV Series 2 episodes
N.Y.P.D.
1967
TV Series 2 episodes
The Invaders
1967
TV Series 3 episodes
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1967
TV Series 1 episode
I Spy
1966
TV Series 4 episodes
Shane
1966
TV Series 1 episode
Blue Light
1966
TV Series 1 episode
Batman
1966
TV Series 6 episodes
The Fugitive
1964-1966
TV Series 6 episodes
Hogan's Heroes
1965-1966
TV Series 5 episodes
Mister Roberts
1965
TV Series 4 episodes
The Virginian
1965
TV Series 1 episode
Run for Your Life
1965
TV Series 1 episode
The Defenders
1963-1965
TV Series 2 episodes
The Twilight Zone
1964
TV Series 2 episodes
Arrest and Trial
1964
TV Series 1 episode
The Lieutenant
1963-1964
TV Series 2 episodes
Espionage
1964
TV Series 1 episode
Ben Casey
1963
TV Series 3 episodes
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963
TV Series 2 episodes
The Richard Boone Show
1963
TV Series 1 episode
Dr. Kildare
1962-1963
TV Series 2 episodes
The Untouchables
1962-1963
TV Series 7 episodes
Stoney Burke
1962-1963
TV Series 2 episodes
The Detectives
1961-1962
TV Series 5 episodes
Follow the Sun
1962
TV Series 3 episodes
The Rifleman
1962
TV Series 1 episode
The Gertrude Berg Show
1961
TV Series 2 episodes
The Dick Powell Theatre
1961
TV Series 1 episode
The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961
TV Series 2 episodes
Bonanza
1961
TV Series 1 episode
Michael Shayne
1961
TV Series 1 episode
Have Gun - Will Travel
1961
TV Series 1 episode
Peter Loves Mary
1961
TV Series 2 episodes
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1960-1961
TV Series 5 episodes
Happy
1960
TV Series 1 episode
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1960
TV Series 1 episode
Hennesey
1959-1960
TV Series 3 episodes
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Remington Steele
TV Series creator - 75 episodes, 1983 - 1987 created by - 19 episodes, 1982 - 1983
On the Edge
1987
TV Movie
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
St. Michael's Crossing
1999
TV Series executive producer
Glory, Glory
1998
TV Movie executive producer
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993
TV Series executive producer - 1 episode
Bay City Story
1992
TV Movie executive producer
Sisters
1991
TV Series executive producer - 7 episodes
Midnight Caller
1988-1989
TV Series executive producer - 17 episodes
Out of Time
1988
TV Movie executive producer
On the Edge
1987
TV Movie producer
Remington Steele
1982
TV Series producer - 1 episode
Black Bart
1975
TV Movie producer
Insight
1966
TV Series producer - 1 episode
Assistant Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Playhouse 90
1958-1959
TV Series associate director - 3 episodes
Climax!
1957-1958
TV Series associate director - 3 episodes
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
From Rivals to Romance: The Making of Lois and Clark
2005
Video short special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Earl Hamner Storyteller
2015
Documentary
Himself
Panorama
2013
TV Series documentary
Himself - Chair, Review of Intelligence on WMD
From Rivals to Romance: The Making of Lois and Clark
2005
Video short
Himself
Taking Flight: The Visual Effects of Lois and Clark
2005
Video short
Himself
E! True Hollywood Story
1999
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Making of 'Up the Creek'
1984
TV Short documentary
Himself
The 33rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1981
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
The 26th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1974
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Directing in Drama - A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and / or Theme and Director of the Year - Series
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2015
Lifetime Achievement Award in Television Direction
Directors Guild of America, USA
2001
Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
1982
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series' - Night
Hill Street Blues (1981)
1981
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Hill Street Blues (1981)
1974
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Best Directing in Drama - A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme
The Blue Knight (1973)
1974
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Director of the Year - Series
The Blue Knight (1973)
1973
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series' - Night
The Waltons (1971)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1995
CableACE
CableACE Awards
Movie or Miniseries
White Mile (1994)
1994
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Drama Series
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
1994
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
1993
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Drama Series
Sirens (1993)
1985
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Moonlighting (1985)
1982
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Hill Street Blues (1981)
1974
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television