Rod Holcomb

Rod Holcomb
Holcomb in 2003
Born(1943-05-28)May 28, 1943
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 24, 2024(2024-01-24) (aged 80)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Television director and producer

Rod Holcomb (May 28, 1943 – January 24, 2024) was an American television director and producer, best known for directing the pilot and finale of ER.

Holcomb directed episodes of numerous television series, including Quincy, M.E., The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island, The A-Team, The District, Lost, Invasion, Shark, China Beach, Wiseguy, The Equalizer, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The Devlin Connection, The Greatest American Hero, Hill Street Blues, The West Wing, and Numb3rs.[citation needed]

Life and career

In 1979, Holcomb directed the television film Captain America.[1] In 1994, he directed pilot episode of ER, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and won a Directors Guild of America Award.[2] In 1996, he directed the episode "Last Call" and was nominated for another Primetime Emmy.[3] He returned to the show in 2009 to direct its final episode and received a Primetime Emmy for doing so.[2]

In 1997, Holcomb was announced as the director of a Showtime miniseries titled Dying for Our Country.[4] It aired the next year under the title Thanks of a Grateful Nation.[5] In 2001, he directed the pilot episode of The Education of Max Bickford, and served as executive producer for the overall show.[6]

In 2004, Holcomb served as chair of the Directors Guild of America's television creative rights committee.[7]

Holcomb died on January 24, 2024, at the age of 80.[8]

Directing style

On his role as a guest director, Holcomb stated:

I generally go in with a clear understanding that the actors have a responsibility to the series [...] They own those roles. They own those characters. My responsibility is to help them become the best actors they can be within those parameters. You’re trying to continue the prosperity and success of that series as well as being an artist.[9]

Unreleased works

In 1997, Holcomb was announced as the director of an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel A Fall of Moondust.[10] In 1999, he was hired to direct a WWII drama pilot titled Skylark.[11]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1991 Chains of Gold Director German theatrical release [12]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1979 Captain America Director Television film [1]
1993 Donato and Daughter Director Television film [13]
1994 ER Director Episode: "24 Hours" [2]
1994 Royce Director Television film [14]
1995 Convict Cowboy Director Television film [15]
1996 ER Director Episode: "Last Call" [3]
1998 Thanks of a Grateful Nation Director Miniseries [16]
2000 Hopewell Director/Executive Producer (Showrunner) Television film [17]
2001 The Education of Max Bickford Director Episode: "Pilot" [6]
2001–2002 The Education of Max Bickford Executive producer [18]
2003 The Lyon's Den Executive producer [19]
2003 The Pentagon Papers Director Television film [20]
2005 Code Breakers Director Television film [21]
2006–2008 Shark Executive producer [22]
2007 Moonlight Director Episode: "No Such Thing as Vampires" [23]
2007–2008 Moonlight Executive producer [24]
2009 Lost Director Episode: "Jughead" [25]
2009 ER Director Episode: "And in the End..." [2]
2010 The 19th Wife Director Television film [26]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
1988 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series China Beach: Pilot Nominated [27]
1989 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials China Beach: Pilot Nominated
1994 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials ER: 24 Hours Won [2]
1995 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Drama Series ER: 24 Hours Nominated [28]
1997 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series ER: Last Call Nominated [29]
2004 Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television The Pentagon Papers Nominated [30]
2004 The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors Honors Awards Directing Nominated [31]
2009 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series ER: And in the End... Won [32]

References

  1. ^ a b "Captain America (1979)". BFI. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Emmys: A final hurrah for "ER"". Variety. September 22, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Richmond, Ray (July 25, 1997). "HBO bests Big 3 in Emmy noms". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Richmond, Ray (October 6, 1997). "Bogdanovich, Badham set for Showtime pix". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  5. ^ Richmond, Ray (May 27, 1998). "Thanks of a Grateful Nation". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Speier, Michael (September 18, 2001). "The Education of Max Bickford". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  7. ^ McNary, Dave (February 5, 2004). "Guild targets global goals". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "Rod Holcomb, Emmy-Winning 'ER' and 'Lost' Director, Dies at 80". The Wrap. January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Saval, Malina (August 17, 2009). "Guest directors, vet actors". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  10. ^ Busch, Anita M. (January 9, 1997). "Three exex rise at the Bubble Factory". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Hontz, Jenny (February 19, 1999). "ABC orders reality, comedy pilots". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  12. ^ McLean, Thomas J. (June 8, 2012). "Dariusz Wolski: Bringing 3D to the table". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  13. ^ Loynd, Ray (September 20, 1993). "Cbs Tuesday Movie Donato and Daughter". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  14. ^ Voros, Drew (April 4, 1994). "Royce". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  15. ^ McCarthy, John P. (July 13, 1995). "Convict Cowboy". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  16. ^ Richmond, Ray (May 25, 1998). "Thanks of a Grateful Nation". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  17. ^ Adalian, Josef (March 30, 2000). "Treat Williams, Richter ink for net pilot roles". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  18. ^ Adalian, Josef (October 26, 2001). "Inside move: 'Max' showrunners on sidelines". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  19. ^ Johnson, Debra (June 11, 2003). "Five entering 'Lyon's Den'". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Schneider, Michael (July 25, 2002). "FX cabler files Spader for 'Pentagon Papers'". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  21. ^ Lowry, Brian (December 8, 2005). "Codebreakers". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  22. ^ Schneider, Michael (October 23, 2006). "Swimming with 'Shark'". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  23. ^ "CBS pickups". Variety. January 30, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  24. ^ "What's new in primetime". Variety. May 20, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  25. ^ ""Lost": Episode 3, "Jughead"". Variety. January 29, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  26. ^ Lowry, Brian (September 19, 2010). "The 19th Wife". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  27. ^ "Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series Nominees / Winners 1988". Television Academy. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  28. ^ "Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series Nominees / Winners 1995". Television Academy. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  29. ^ "Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series Nominees / Winners 1997". Television Academy. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  30. ^ McNary, Dave (January 8, 2004). "Diverse pix mix for DGA telepic noms". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  31. ^ Morfoot, Addie (January 8, 2004). "Caucus announces award nominees". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  32. ^ "Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series Nominees / Winners 2009". Television Academy. Retrieved November 19, 2022.