# Pamela Fryman

Pamela Gail Fryman (born August 19, 1959) is an American sitcom director and producer. She was the principal director of the television series How I Met Your Mother, directing 196 of the show's 208 episodes.

## Early life

Fryman was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

## 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, 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!, directing 94 out of the 148 episodes the show aired.
Fryman directed the majority of the episodes of How I Met Your Mother. 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 and David Burtka, who played a side role in the show.
She also directed 19 out of the 30 episodes that lasted 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 also known as the (ATAS), the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, Goldderby.com, the Online Film & Television Association also known as the (OFTA), and the Women in Film 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)") (Frasier)
* 1999 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series ("Two Girls for Every Boy") (Just Shoot Me!)
* 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

| Year | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Notes |
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Actor | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | The Gene Pool | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2001 | Count Me In | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2003 | The Snobs | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2006 | You've Reached the Elliotts | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2006 | Sex, Power, Love & Politics | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2006 | Inseparable | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2007 | The Minister of Divine | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2009 | The Karenskys | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2009 | CBS Fall Preview | Yes | No | No | | Television special |
| 2010 | True Love | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2010 | Livin' on a Prayer | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2010 | Freshman | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2011 | The Assistants | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2011 | And They're Off | No | Yes | No | | Feature Film; Producer |
| 2012 | Table for Three | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2013 | Divorce: A Love Story | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2014 | Save the Date | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2014 | Cuz-Bros | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2014 | Cabot College | Yes | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2014 | How I Met Your Dad | No | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2015 | The Perfect Stanleys | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2015 | The History of Us | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2016 | My Time Your Time | Yes | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2016 | Good Fortune | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2017 | Distefano | Yes | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2017 | Real Life | Yes | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2018 | Most Likely To | Yes | No | No | | Television Movie |
| 2018 | History of Them | Yes | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |
| 2018 | Making Friends | Yes | Yes | No | | Television Movie; also Executive Producer |

### Television

| Year | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Notes |
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Actor | Role | Notes |
| 1990–1993 | Santa Barbara | Yes | No | Yes | Whispy Figure | 21 episodes (director); 177 episodes (also associate director) Episode: "#1.916" (actor) |
| 1994 | Cafe Americain | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Oh, Brother" |
| 1994 | Muddling Through | Yes | No | No | | 3 episodes |
| 1994–1997 | Friends | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | The Boys Are Back | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Bad Hair Day" |
| 1995 | Bringing Up Jack | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Close Personal Friends" |
| 1995 | The Single Guy | Yes | No | No | | unknown episode |
| 1995 | Dweebs | Yes | No | No | | 9 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Bless This House | Yes | No | No | | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Ned and Stacey | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Friends and Lovers" |
| 1996 | Good Company | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Caroline in the City | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Caroline and the Cereal" |
| 1996 | Hope & Gloria | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Pearl | Yes | No | No | | unknown episode |
| 1996 | Townies | Yes | No | No | | 7 episodes |
| 1996–1997 | The Naked Truth | Yes | No | No | | 3 episodes |
| 1996–1997 | Cybill | Yes | No | No | | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Fired Up | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Suddenly Susan | Yes | No | No | | 5 episodes |
| 1997-1998 | George and Leo | Yes | No | No | | 4 episodes |
| 1997–2001 | Frasier | Yes | No | No | | 34 episodes |
| 1998 | The Simple Life | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1998 | Maggie Winters | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Pilot |
| 1998 | Encore! Encore! | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "I Am Joe's Ego" |
| 1998 | The King of Queens | Yes | No | No | | 3 episodes |
| 1998–2003 | Just Shoot Me! | Yes | Yes | No | | 95 episodes (director); 46 episodes (also Executive Producer) |
| 1999 | Norm | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Drive, Norm Said" also known as "The Norm Show" |
| 1999 | Work with Me | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1999 | Love & Money | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2000 | Welcome to New York | Yes | No | No | | unknown episode |
| 2001 | Three Sisters | Yes | No | No | | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Inside Schwartz | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | In-Laws | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | My Big Fat Greek Life | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "The House Gift" |
| 2003–2004 | Happy Family | Yes | Yes | No | | 22 episodes (director); 21 episodes (also Executive Producer) |
| 2004–2005 | Two and a Half Men | Yes | No | No | | 20 episodes |
| 2005–2014 | How I Met Your Mother | Yes | Yes | No | | 208 episodes (Executive Producer); 196 episodes (also director); |
| 2006 | Courting Alex | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "A Tale of Two Kisses" |
| 2009 | Accidentally on Purpose | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Mad Love | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Fireworks" |
| 2011 | How to Be a Gentleman | Yes | No | No | | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Friend Me | Yes | No | No | | unknown episode |
| 2013 | Mom | Yes | No | No | | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2014–2015 | The McCarthys | Yes | Yes | No | | 11 episodes (director); 11 episodes (also Executive Producer) |
| 2015 | Truth Be Told | Yes | Yes | No | | 7 episodes (director); 7 episodes (also Executive Producer) |
| 2016–2017 | The Odd Couple | Yes | No | No | | 3 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Man with a Plan | Yes | No | No | | 12 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | 9JKL | Yes | Yes | No | | 8 episodes (director); 8 episodes (also Executive Producer) |
| 2017–2020 | One Day at a Time | Yes | Yes | No | | 11 episodes (director); Episode: "This Is It" (Executive Producer) |
| 2018 | Murphy Brown | Yes | Yes | No | | Episode: "Pilot" (director); Episode: "Pilot" (also Executive Producer) |
| 2019 | Abby's | Yes | Yes | No | | 5 episodes (director); also Executive Producer |
| 2019–2020 | Carol's Second Act | Yes | No | No | | 8 episodes (director) |
| 2019 | Merry Happy Whatever | Yes | Yes | No | | 4 episodes (director); also Executive Producer |
| 2019 | Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" | Yes | No | No | | Television special (director) |
| 2021 | Call Your Mother | Yes | Yes | No | | 10 episodes (director); also Executive Producer |
| 2021 | Pretty Smart | Yes | Yes | No | | 3 episodes (director); also executive producer |
| 2022-2023 | How I Met Your Father | Yes | Yes | No | | 19 episodes (director); also executive producer |
| 2023-2024 | Night Court | Yes | Yes | No | | 6 episodes (director); also executive producer |
| 2024 | Happy's Place | Yes | Yes | No | | 1 episode (director); also executive producer |