---
name: "Arlene Sanford"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford"
fi1m_id: "arlene-sanford"
imdb_id: "nm0762541"
tmdb_id: 15042
wikidata_id: "Q2861608"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 January 1950"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 13
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "director"
average_over: 13
updated: "2026-10-07T12:39:28.983075+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Arlene Sanford

## Identity

Arlene Sanford

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** arlene-sanford
- **IMDb ID:** nm0762541
- **TMDB ID:** 15042
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2861608
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene_Sanford, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2861608, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762541/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15042

Director. Born 1 January 1950 in USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 January 1950, USA
- **Active:** 1988–2012
- **Frequently works with:** [Bethany Rooney](https://film.one/person/bethany-rooney.md), [David Grossman](https://film.one/person/david-grossman.md), [Jeff Melman](https://film.one/person/jeff-melman.md), [Lesli Linka Glatter](https://film.one/person/lesli-linka-glatter.md), [Robert Berlinger](https://film.one/person/robert-berlinger.md), [Stephen Cragg](https://film.one/person/stephen-cragg.md), [Bill D'Elia](https://film.one/person/bill-delia.md), [Bryan Gordon](https://film.one/person/bryan-gordon.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as director, over 13 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (1), 1990s 76 (3), 2000s 77 (8), 2010s 74 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 72 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 10, Comedy 9, Crime 2, Family 1, Mystery 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene_Sanford, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2861608, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762541/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15042

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*The Wonder Years*](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md) (82), [*Gilmore Girls*](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md) (81), [*Everybody Hates Chris*](https://film.one/tv/everybody-hates-chris.md) (80), [*Desperate Housewives*](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md) (78), [*Boston Legal*](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md) (76), [*Bones*](https://film.one/tv/bones.md) (70), [*Grey's Anatomy*](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md) (68)
- **HBO Max:** [*The West Wing*](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md) (86), [*Friends*](https://film.one/tv/friends.md) (78)
- **Netflix:** [*Arrested Development*](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md) (87)
- **Paramount+:** [*Weeds*](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md) (76)
- **Pluto TV:** [*Nashville*](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Arlene Sanford is an American film and television director. She began her career in New York as a game show writer before moving into production and directing, later relocating to Los Angeles at the encouragement of James Burrows. She directed her first episodic television assignment on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd in 1987 after creating the short film Welcome Home.

Sanford has directed episodes of numerous series including *The West Wing* (1999), *Arrested Development* (2003), *Ally McBeal*, *Desperate Housewives*, *Boston Legal*, *Malcolm in the Middle*, *Gilmore Girls*, *Bones* and *Pretty Little Liars*. Her feature film credits include *A Very Brady Sequel* (1996) and *I'll Be Home for Christmas* (1998), along with several television movies. She received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for *Ally McBeal* (1999) and for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for *Boston Legal* (2008), as well as Directors Guild of America nominations.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, dga.org, arlenesanford.com.*

## On Fi1m (13)

- *Nashville* (2012), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md)
- *Bones* (2005), Fi1m 70, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Everybody Hates Chris* (2005), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/everybody-hates-chris.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Weeds* (2005), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md)
- *Boston Legal* (2004), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *Arrested Development* (2003), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)
- *Gilmore Girls* (2000), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md)
- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), Fi1m 63, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *Friends* (1994), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *The Wonder Years* (1988), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)

## Complete filmography (95)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists* (2019), series, Director
- *Grace and Frankie* (2015), series, Director
- *Younger* (2015), series, Director
- *The Royals* (2015), series, Director
- *Madam Secretary* (2014), series, Director
- *Young & Hungry* (2014), series, Director
- *Ravenswood* (2013), series, Director
- *Emily Owens, M.D.* (2012), series, Director
- *Nashville* (2012), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md)
- *Baby Daddy* (2012), series, Director
- *Men at Work* (2012), series, Director
- *Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!* (2011), Director
- *Switched at Birth* (2011), series, Director
- *Franklin & Bash* (2011), series, Director
- *Pretty Little Liars* (2010), series, Director
- *12 Men of Christmas* (2009), Director
- *White Collar* (2009), series, Director
- *Drop Dead Diva* (2009), series, Director
- *The Starter Wife* (2008), series, Director
- *Unhitched* (2008), series, Director
- *Lipstick Jungle* (2008), series, Director
- *The Wedding Bells* (2007), series, Director
- *My Boys* (2006), series, Director
- *3 lbs* (2006), series, Director
- *The Game* (2006), series, Director
- *Psych* (2006), series, Director
- *Pepper Dennis* (2006), series, Director
- *Everybody Hates Chris* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/everybody-hates-chris.md)
- *Love, Inc.* (2005), series, Director
- *Bones* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Weeds* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/weeds.md)
- *The Bad Girl's Guide* (2005), series, Director
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Medium* (2005), series, Director
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *Boston Legal* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *Kevin Hill* (2004), series, Director
- *Arrested Development* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)
- *Miss Match* (2003), series, Director
- *I'm with Her* (2003), series, Director
- *Rock Me Baby* (2003), series, Director
- *Eve* (2003), series, Director
- *Everwood* (2002), series, Director
- *Monk* (2002), series, Director
- *Frank McKlusky, C.I.* (2002), Director
- *Go Fish* (2001), series, Director
- *Boston Public* (2000), series, Director
- *Ed* (2000), series, Director
- *Gilmore Girls* (2000), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md)
- *Girlfriends* (2000), series, Director
- *Battery Park* (2000), series, Director
- *Malcolm in the Middle* (2000), series, Director
- *Wasteland* (1999), series, Director
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Once and Again* (1999), series, Director
- *I'll Be Home for Christmas* (1998), Director
- *Dawson's Creek* (1998), series, Director
- *Union Square* (1997), series, Director
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, Director — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *Temporarily Yours* (1997), series, Director
- *A Very Brady Sequel* (1996), Director
- *The Last Frontier* (1996), series, Director
- *Too Something* (1995), series, Director
- *Caroline in the City* (1995), series, Director
- *The Naked Truth* (1995), series, Director
- *Simon* (1995), series, Director
- *Pride & Joy* (1995), series, Director
- *The Great Defender* (1995), series, Director
- *Pig Sty* (1995), series, Director
- *Friends* (1994), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *All-American Girl* (1994), series, Director
- *The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story* (1994), Director
- *The Second Half* (1993), series, Director
- *Almost Home* (1993), series, Director
- *Camp Wilder* (1992), series, Director
- *The Torkelsons* (1991), series, Director
- *Sisters* (1991), series, Director
- *Cop Rock* (1990), series, Director
- *True Colors* (1990), series, Director
- *Ferris Bueller* (1990), series, Director
- *Dream On* (1990), series, Director
- *Personals* (1990), Story
- *Open House* (1989), series, Director
- *Coach* (1989), series, Director
- *Annie McGuire* (1988), series, Director
- *Dear John* (1988), series, Director
- *Eisenhower and Lutz* (1988), series, Director
- *The Wonder Years* (1988), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)
- *Hooperman* (1987), series, Director
- *The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd* (1987), series, Director
- *Duet* (1987), series, Director
- *Designing Women* (1986), series, Director
- *The Ellen Burstyn Show* (1986), series, Director
- *Newhart* (1982), series, Director
- *Eight Days a Week*, series, Director

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford