---
name: "David Semel"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-semel"
fi1m_id: "david-semel"
imdb_id: "nm0783751"
tmdb_id: 17272
wikidata_id: "Q3018772"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 January 1953"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "director"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-07T12:39:29.049806+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."
---

# David Semel

## Identity

David Semel

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-semel
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-semel
- **IMDb ID:** nm0783751
- **TMDB ID:** 17272
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3018772
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Semel, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3018772, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783751/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17272

Director. Born 1 January 1953.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 January 1953
- **Active:** 1990–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Dan Attias](https://film.one/person/dan-attias.md), [Tim Hunter](https://film.one/person/tim-hunter.md), [Tucker Gates](https://film.one/person/tucker-gates.md), [David Fury](https://film.one/person/david-fury.md), [Elodie Keene](https://film.one/person/elodie-keene.md), [Guy Ferland](https://film.one/person/guy-ferland.md), [James Whitmore Jr.](https://film.one/person/james-whitmore-jr.md), [John Dahl](https://film.one/person/john-dahl.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as director, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 72 (4), 2000s 73 (2), 2010s 80 (4), 2020s 75 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 74 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 10, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 5, Crime 4, Comedy 2, Action & Adventure 1, Mystery 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Semel, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3018772, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0783751/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17272

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Buffy the Vampire Slayer*](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md) (80), [*Homeland*](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md) (78), [*House*](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md) (78), [*Ally McBeal*](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md) (63)
- **Netflix:** [*Hannibal*](https://film.one/tv/hannibal-2013.md) (81), [*Heroes*](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md) (68)
- **HBO Max:** [*Watchmen*](https://film.one/tv/watchmen-2019.md) (84)
- **Peacock:** [*Person of Interest*](https://film.one/tv/person-of-interest.md) (78)
- **Apple TV:** [*Silo*](https://film.one/tv/silo.md) (75)
- **Paramount+:** [*Beverly Hills, 90210*](https://film.one/tv/beverly-hills-90210.md) (74)
- **Tubi:** [*Party of Five*](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md) (73)

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

## Biography

David Semel is an American film and television director and producer. He joined the Directors Guild of America in 1989 and has directed episodes of numerous series since the late 1980s.

His credits include multiple episodes of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997) and *Angel*, as well as work on *Beverly Hills, 90210*, *Dawson's Creek*, *7th Heaven*, *House* (2004), *Heroes* (2006), *Person of Interest* (2011), *American Horror Story* (2011), *Homeland* (2011), *Star Trek: Discovery* (2017), *Watchmen* (2019), *Silo* (2023) and *Tulsa King* (2022). He also directed the feature films *Campfire Tales* (1997) and *Lone Star State of Mind* (2002).

Semel received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot of *Heroes* in 2007, and was previously nominated for his producing work on *House*.

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

## On Fi1m (11)

- *Silo* (2023), Fi1m 75, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/silo.md)
- *Watchmen* (2019), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/watchmen-2019.md)
- *Hannibal* (2013), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/hannibal-2013.md)
- *Homeland* (2011), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md)
- *Person of Interest* (2011), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/person-of-interest.md)
- *Heroes* (2006), Fi1m 68, Director, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *House* (2004), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md)
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), Fi1m 63, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md)
- *Party of Five* (1994), Fi1m 73, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md)
- *Beverly Hills, 90210* (1990), Fi1m 74, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/beverly-hills-90210.md)

## Complete filmography (49)

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

- *Silo* (2023), series, Director — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/tv/silo.md)
- *Tulsa King* (2022), series, Director
- *The Nevers* (2021), series, Director
- *Watchmen* (2019), series, Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/watchmen-2019.md)
- *Star Trek: Discovery* (2017), series, Director
- *Pure Genius* (2016), series, Director
- *Code Black* (2015), series, Director
- *The Man in the High Castle* (2015), series, Director
- *Madam Secretary* (2014), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Legends* (2014), series, Director
- *The Strain* (2014), series, Director
- *Intelligence* (2014), series, Director
- *Hemlock Grove* (2013), series, Director
- *Hannibal* (2013), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/hannibal-2013.md)
- *American Horror Story* (2011), series, Director
- *Homeland* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md)
- *Person of Interest* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/person-of-interest.md)
- *No Ordinary Family* (2010), series, Director, Producer
- *Rex Is Not Your Lawyer* (2010), series, Director
- *Limelight* (2009), Director, Executive Producer
- *My Own Worst Enemy* (2008), series, Producer, Director
- *The Cleaner* (2008), series, Producer, Director
- *Life* (2007), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Heroes* (2006), series, Director, Executive Producer — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/heroes.md)
- *Six Degrees* (2006), series, Director
- *Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip* (2006), series, Director
- *Windfall* (2006), series, Director
- *Revelations* (2005), series, Director
- *House* (2004), series, Director, Co-Executive Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md)
- *American Dreams* (2002), series, Director, Producer
- *Lone Star State of Mind* (2002), Director
- *Boston Public* (2000), series, Director
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, Director
- *Roswell* (1999), series, Director
- *Angel* (1999), series, Director
- *Judging Amy* (1999), series, Director
- *Love Boat: The Next Wave* (1998), series, Director
- *Dawson's Creek* (1998), series, Director
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, Director — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *Pacific Palisades* (1997), series, Director
- *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* (1997), series, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md)
- *The Practice* (1997), series, Director
- *Campfire Tales* (1997), Director
- *7th Heaven* (1996), series, Director
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, Director
- *Party of Five* (1994), series, Director — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md)
- *Beverly Hills, 90210* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/beverly-hills-90210.md)
- *Open House* (1989), series, Director
- *A Fight for Jenny* (1986), Assistant Editor

---
© 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/david-semel