---
name: "Joe Napolitano"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joe-napolitano"
fi1m_id: "joe-napolitano"
imdb_id: "nm0621137"
tmdb_id: 1213543
wikidata_id: "Q1652302"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "22 November 1948"
died: "23 July 2016"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_as: "director"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-07T12:39:29.091765+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."
---

# Joe Napolitano

## Identity

Joe Napolitano

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joe-napolitano
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joe-napolitano
- **IMDb ID:** nm0621137
- **TMDB ID:** 1213543
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1652302
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Napolitano, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1652302, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0621137/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1213543

Director. Born 22 November 1948 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. Died 23 July 2016.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 22 November 1948, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 23 July 2016
- **Active:** 1981–2005
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 10: 4 directing, 6 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Michael Lange](https://film.one/person/michael-lange.md), [Adam Arkin](https://film.one/person/adam-arkin.md), [Arlene Sanford](https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford.md), [Bill D'Elia](https://film.one/person/bill-delia.md), [Bryan Spicer](https://film.one/person/bryan-spicer.md), [Daniel Sackheim](https://film.one/person/daniel-sackheim.md), [David Duchovny](https://film.one/person/david-duchovny.md), [David Grossman](https://film.one/person/david-grossman.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as director, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 79 (5), 1990s 77 (4), 2000s 70 (1)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Crime 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Mystery 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Napolitano, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1652302, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0621137/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1213543

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*The X-Files*](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md) (84), [*Bones*](https://film.one/tv/bones.md) (70), [*Ally McBeal*](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md) (63)

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

## Biography

Joe Napolitano was an American television director and former first assistant director. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he began his career in film production and worked as first assistant director on features including *Blow Out* (1981), *Scarface* (1983), *Body Double* (1984), *The Untouchables* (1987), *The Fisher King* (1991) and *Parenthood* (1989).

He directed numerous episodes of prime-time series, most notably twelve episodes of *Quantum Leap* (1990–1992) and two episodes of *The X-Files* (1993–1994). Other credits include episodes of *Northern Exposure*, *Picket Fences*, *The Pretender*, *JAG*, *Dawson's Creek*, *Boston Public* and *Strong Medicine*, as well as the television films *Earth Angel* (1991) and *Contagious* (1997). Napolitano died in Los Angeles in 2016.

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

## On Fi1m (10)

### Directed (4) — the average rests on these

- *Bones* (2005), Fi1m 70, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), Fi1m 63, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *The X-Files* (1993), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)

### Crew (6)

- *The Fisher King* (1991), Fi1m 80, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-fisher-king.md)
- *Parenthood* (1989), Fi1m 78, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/parenthood.md)
- *The Untouchables* (1987), Fi1m 81, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-untouchables.md)
- *Throw Momma from the Train* (1987), Fi1m 68, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/throw-momma-from-the-train.md)
- *Scarface* (1983), Fi1m 79, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *Blow Out* (1981), Fi1m 88, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md)

## Complete filmography (44)

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

- *Brooklyn's Finest* (2010), First Assistant Director, Producer
- *Cashmere Mafia* (2008), series, Director
- *Bones* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/bones.md)
- *Birds of Prey* (2002), series, Director
- *Boston Public* (2000), series, Director
- *The District* (2000), series, Director
- *FreakyLinks* (2000), series, Director
- *Strong Medicine* (2000), series, Director
- *Wasteland* (1999), series, Director
- *Snoops* (1999), series, Director
- *Martial Law* (1998), series, Director
- *L.A. Doctors* (1998), series, Director
- *Dawson's Creek* (1998), series, Director
- *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, Director — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/ally-mcbeal.md)
- *The Practice* (1997), series, Director
- *Contagious* (1997), Director
- *The Pretender* (1996), series, Director
- *JAG* (1995), series, Director
- *Earth 2* (1994), series, Director
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, Director
- *M.A.N.T.I.S.* (1994), series, Director
- *Viper* (1994), series, Director
- *seaQuest DSV* (1993), series, Director
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.* (1993), series, Director
- *Class of '96* (1993), series, Director
- *Picket Fences* (1992), series, Director
- *Covington Cross* (1992), series, Director
- *I'll Fly Away* (1991), series, Director
- *Reasonable Doubts* (1991), series, Director
- *The Fisher King* (1991), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-fisher-king.md)
- *Earth Angel* (1991), Director
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)
- *Parenthood* (1989), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/parenthood.md)
- *Quantum Leap* (1989), series, Director
- *Last Rites* (1988), First Assistant Director
- *Throw Momma from the Train* (1987), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/throw-momma-from-the-train.md)
- *The Untouchables* (1987), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-untouchables.md)
- *Wise Guys* (1986), First Assistant Director
- *Body Double* (1984), First Assistant Director
- *The Pope of Greenwich Village* (1984), First Assistant Director
- *Scarface* (1983), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *Blow Out* (1981), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md)
- *Kingdom of the Spiders* (1977), Production Supervisor

---
© 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/joe-napolitano