---
name: "John David Coles"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-david-coles"
fi1m_id: "john-david-coles"
imdb_id: "nm0171315"
tmdb_id: 163097
wikidata_id: "Q6228659"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "1 January 1901"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "director"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-07T04:05:47.695839+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."
---

# John David Coles

## Identity

John David Coles

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-david-coles
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-david-coles
- **IMDb ID:** nm0171315
- **TMDB ID:** 163097
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6228659
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_David_Coles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6228659, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171315/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/163097

Director. Born 1 January 1901 in United States.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 1 January 1901, United States
- **Active:** 1990–2011
- **Frequently works with:** [Bill D'Elia](https://film.one/person/bill-delia.md), [Lesli Linka Glatter](https://film.one/person/lesli-linka-glatter.md), [Michael Pressman](https://film.one/person/michael-pressman.md), [Tony Goldwyn](https://film.one/person/tony-goldwyn.md), [Adam Arkin](https://film.one/person/adam-arkin.md), [Arlene Sanford](https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford.md), [Bethany Rooney](https://film.one/person/bethany-rooney.md), [Christopher Misiano](https://film.one/person/christopher-misiano.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as director, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 80 (3), 2000s 75 (3), 2010s 82 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 74 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Crime 4, Comedy 2, Mystery 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1, War & Politics 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_David_Coles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6228659, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171315/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/163097

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Justified*](https://film.one/tv/justified.md) (87), [*Homeland*](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md) (78), [*Damages*](https://film.one/tv/damages.md) (78), [*Desperate Housewives*](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md) (78), [*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)
- **Hulu:** [*Law & Order*](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) (72)

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

## Biography

John David Coles is an American television and film director and producer. He began his career as an editor on Francis Ford Coppola films including *Rumble Fish* (1983) and *The Cotton Club* (1984). His feature directorial debut was *Signs of Life* (1989).

Coles has directed episodes of numerous series, including *Sex and the City* (1999–2002), *The West Wing* (2002–2003), *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), *Damages* (2007), *Justified* (2011), *Elementary* (2012–2013), *Bates Motel* (2014), *Homeland* (2015), *Berlin Station* (2016), *11.22.63* (2016) and *The Sinner* (2017–2018). He served as executive producer on *House of Cards* (2013–2015), for which he received Emmy and PGA Award nominations, and on other series including *Law & Order: Criminal Intent*. He founded the production company Talking Wall Pictures.

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

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Homeland* (2011), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md)
- *Justified* (2010), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *Damages* (2007), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), Fi1m 78, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)

## Complete filmography (50)

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

- *The Choice* (2026), Director, Producer
- *Law & Order: Organized Crime* (2021), series, Director
- *The Right Stuff* (2020), series, Director
- *FBI: Most Wanted* (2020), series, Director
- *Mr. Mercedes* (2017), series, Director
- *The Sinner* (2017), series, Director
- *Shots Fired* (2017), series, Director
- *Ice* (2016), series, Director
- *11.22.63* (2016), series, Director
- *Those Who Kill* (2014), series, Director
- *Bates Motel* (2013), series, Director
- *House of Cards* (2013), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Elementary* (2012), series, Producer, Director
- *Homeland* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/homeland.md)
- *Pan Am* (2011), series, Director
- *A Gifted Man* (2011), series, Director
- *Unforgettable* (2011), series, Director
- *Love Bites* (2011), series, Director
- *Justified* (2010), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *Cra$h & Burn* (2009), series, Executive Producer
- *New Amsterdam* (2008), series, Director
- *Damages* (2007), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *3 lbs* (2006), series, Director
- *Thief* (2006), series, Producer, Director
- *Trump Unauthorized* (2005), Director
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), series, Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *Jack & Bobby* (2004), series, Director
- *Nikki and Nora* (2004), Director
- *Karen Sisco* (2003), series, Director
- *The American Embassy* (2002), series, Director
- *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, Director
- *The $treet* (2000), series, Director
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Maximum Bob* (1998), series, Director
- *Sex and the City* (1998), series, Director
- *New York News* (1995), series, Director
- *Friends at Last* (1995), Director
- *Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story* (1994), Director
- *Birdland* (1994), series, Director
- *The Good Fight* (1992), Director
- *I'll Fly Away* (1991), series, Director
- *Darrow* (1991), Director
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Rising Son* (1990), Director
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)
- *Signs of Life* (1989), Director
- *Hellfire* (1983), Director, Executive Producer
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, Director
- *Nikki and Nora*, 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/john-david-coles