---
name: "Dan Lerner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/dan-lerner"
fi1m_id: "dan-lerner"
imdb_id: "nm0503598"
tmdb_id: 1214400
wikidata_id: "Q5213872"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 January 1901"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "director"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-04T19:49:16.073267+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."
---

# Dan Lerner

## Identity

Dan Lerner

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/dan-lerner
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** dan-lerner
- **IMDb ID:** nm0503598
- **TMDB ID:** 1214400
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5213872
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5213872, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0503598/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1214400

Director. Born 1 January 1901.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 January 1901
- **Active:** 1986–2013
- **Also known as:** Daniel Lerner
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 9: 8 directing, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Bethany Rooney](https://film.one/person/bethany-rooney.md), [Edward Ornelas](https://film.one/person/edward-ornelas.md), [Stephen Cragg](https://film.one/person/stephen-cragg.md), [Adam Arkin](https://film.one/person/adam-arkin.md), [Bill D'Elia](https://film.one/person/bill-delia.md), [Lesli Linka Glatter](https://film.one/person/lesli-linka-glatter.md), [Michael Waxman](https://film.one/person/michael-waxman.md), [Randy Zisk](https://film.one/person/randall-zisk.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as director, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 55 (1), 1990s 82 (1), 2000s 73 (5), 2010s 68 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 69 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Crime 3, Mystery 3, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Action & Adventure 1, Comedy 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5213872, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0503598/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1214400

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*The Mentalist*](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md) (71), [*Grey's Anatomy*](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md) (68)
- **Paramount+:** [*Friday Night Lights*](https://film.one/tv/friday-night-lights.md) (86)
- **HBO Max:** [*Carnivàle*](https://film.one/tv/carnivale.md) (76)
- **Pluto TV:** [*Nashville*](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md) (74)
- **Apple TV:** [*NCIS*](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md) (66)
- **Netflix:** [*The Blacklist*](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md) (63)

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

## Biography

Dan Lerner is an American television director and producer. He began his career in the film industry as a camera operator on features including *Sophie's Choice* (1982) and *Witness* (1985), before transitioning to directing in the late 1960s.

Lerner has directed episodes of numerous drama series, including *NCIS* (2003), *Carnivàle* (2003), *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), *Friday Night Lights* (2006), *The Mentalist* (2008), *The Blacklist* (2013), *Chicago Fire* (2012), *Extant* (2014), *Salvation* (2017) and *Bull* (2016). He has also held producing roles on shows such as *House* (2004) and *In Plain Sight* (2008). His work spans more than five decades, with activity documented until 2021.

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

## On Fi1m (9)

### Directed (8) — the average rests on these

- *The Blacklist* (2013), Fi1m 63, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md)
- *Nashville* (2012), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md)
- *The Mentalist* (2008), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md)
- *Friday Night Lights* (2006), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/friday-night-lights.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Carnivàle* (2003), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/carnivale.md)
- *NCIS* (2003), Fi1m 66, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)

### Crew (1)

- *Heartburn* (1986), Fi1m 55, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/heartburn.md)

## Complete filmography (65)

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

- *Salvation* (2017), series, Director
- *Bull* (2016), series, Director
- *Shades of Blue* (2016), series, Director
- *Red Band Society* (2014), series, Director
- *Extant* (2014), series, Director
- *Resurrection* (2014), series, Director
- *Lucky 7* (2013), series, Director
- *The Blacklist* (2013), series, Director — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md)
- *Chicago Fire* (2012), series, Director
- *Nashville* (2012), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/nashville-2012.md)
- *Smash* (2012), series, Director
- *Eastwick* (2009), series, Director
- *The Starter Wife* (2008), series, Co-Executive Producer, Director
- *The Mentalist* (2008), series, Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-mentalist.md)
- *In Plain Sight* (2008), series, Director
- *Side Order of Life* (2007), series, Director
- *Hidden Palms* (2007), series, Director
- *The Riches* (2007), series, Director
- *Friday Night Lights* (2006), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/friday-night-lights.md)
- *What About Brian* (2006), series, Director
- *Commander in Chief* (2005), series, Director
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Medium* (2005), series, Director
- *Huff* (2004), series, Director
- *Tru Calling* (2003), series, Director
- *NCIS* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *Threat Matrix* (2003), series, Director
- *Carnivàle* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/carnivale.md)
- *American Dreams* (2002), series, Director
- *Hack* (2002), series, Director
- *MDs* (2002), series, Director
- *Once and Again* (1999), series, Director
- *Countdown: The Sky's on Fire* (1999), Director
- *Hit and Run* (1999), Director
- *Brimstone* (1998), series, Director
- *Prey* (1998), series, Director
- *Five Desperate Hours* (1997), Director
- *Dellaventura* (1997), series, Director
- *The Secret She Carried* (1996), Director
- *Her Hidden Truth* (1995), Director
- *Shame II: The Secret* (1995), Director
- *Desperate Journey: The Allison Wilcox Story* (1993), Director
- *Ned Blessing* (1993), series, Director
- *Shame* (1992), Director
- *Gabriel's Fire* (1990), series, Director
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)
- *Capital News* (1990), series, Director
- *Equal Justice* (1990), series, Director
- *The Young Riders* (1989), series, Director
- *TV 101* (1988), series, Director
- *Midnight Caller* (1988), series, Director
- *China Beach* (1988), series, Director
- *thirtysomething* (1987), series, Director
- *Gardens of Stone* (1987), Camera Operator
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, Director
- *Heartburn* (1986), Camera Operator — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/heartburn.md)
- *About Last Night...* (1986), Camera Operator
- *Legal Eagles* (1986), Steadicam Operator
- *Wolfen* (1981), Steadicam Operator
- *The War at Home* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Rockers* (1979), Camera Operator
- *Hollow Image* (1979), Camera Operator
- *Nasty Habits* (1977), Director of Photography
- *William: From Georgia To Harlem* (1971), Assistant Camera
- *Number One* (1969), Camera Operator

---
© 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/dan-lerner