---
name: "Lee Shallat Chemel"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/lee-shallat-chemel"
fi1m_id: "lee-shallat-chemel"
imdb_id: "nm0155117"
tmdb_id: 1212922
wikidata_id: "Q6515027"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "15 June 1943"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "director"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-23T23:00:58.137627+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."
---

# Lee Shallat Chemel

## Identity

Lee Shallat Chemel

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/lee-shallat-chemel
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** lee-shallat-chemel
- **IMDb ID:** nm0155117
- **TMDB ID:** 1212922
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6515027
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Shallat_Chemel, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6515027, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155117/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1212922

Director. Born 15 June 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 15 June 1943, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Active:** 1988–2009
- **Also known as:** Lee Shallat-Chemel
- **Frequently works with:** [Gail Mancuso](https://film.one/person/gail-mancuso.md), [Arlene Sanford](https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford.md), [Barnet Kellman](https://film.one/person/barnet-kellman.md), [Chris Koch](https://film.one/person/chris-koch.md), [Danny Leiner](https://film.one/person/danny-leiner.md), [David S. Rosenthal](https://film.one/person/david-s-rosenthal.md), [Jamie Babbit](https://film.one/person/jamie-babbit.md), [Jed Seidel](https://film.one/person/jed-seidel.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as director, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 77 (1), 1990s 82 (1), 2000s 83 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 75 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Drama 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Shallat_Chemel, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6515027, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155117/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1212922

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Arrested Development*](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md) (87)
- **Disney+:** [*Gilmore Girls*](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md) (81)
- **Tubi:** [*Murphy Brown*](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md) (77)

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

## Biography

Lee Shallat Chemel (born 15 June 1943) is an American film and television director and producer. She began her professional directing career in the theatre at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, where she also headed the conservatory programme, and directed at venues including the Grove Shakespeare Festival and the Matrix Theatre. She made her television debut in 1984 directing an episode of *Family Ties*.

Chemel has directed hundreds of episodes across more than ninety series, including multiple episodes of *Murphy Brown*, *The Nanny* (where she also produced thirty episodes), *Spin City* (twenty-three of the first twenty-four episodes), *Gilmore Girls* (where she also served as co-executive producer), *Arrested Development* (five episodes), *The Middle* and *Gossip Girl*. She directed the feature film *Greener Mountains* (2005) and has received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for directing.

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

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Better Off Ted* (2009), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/better-off-ted.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)
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), Fi1m 77, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)

## Complete filmography (81)

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

- *Maggie* (2022), series, Director
- *Carol's Second Act* (2019), series, Director
- *Jennifer Falls* (2014), series, Director
- *Man Up!* (2011), series, Director
- *Happily Divorced* (2011), series, Director
- *Happy Endings* (2011), series, Director
- *Mad Love* (2011), series, Director
- *Raising Hope* (2010), series, Director
- *The Middle* (2009), series, Director
- *Cougar Town* (2009), series, Director
- *In the Motherhood* (2009), series, Director
- *Better Off Ted* (2009), series, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/better-off-ted.md)
- *The Starter Wife* (2008), series, Director
- *Samantha Who?* (2007), series, Director
- *Cavemen* (2007), series, Director
- *Gossip Girl* (2007), series, Director
- *Side Order of Life* (2007), series, Director
- *Greek* (2007), series, Director
- *Ugly Betty* (2006), series, Director
- *Hannah Montana* (2006), series, Director
- *Barbershop* (2005), series, Director
- *Greener Mountains* (2005), Director
- *The Bad Girl's Guide* (2005), series, Director
- *Stacked* (2005), series, Director
- *Living with Fran* (2005), series, Director
- *Life on a Stick* (2005), series, Director
- *The Suite Life of Zack & Cody* (2005), series, Director
- *Arrested Development* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)
- *Rock Me Baby* (2003), series, Director
- *Eve* (2003), series, Director
- *The Pitts* (2003), series, Director
- *Wanda at Large* (2003), series, Director
- *That's So Raven* (2003), series, Director
- *George Lopez* (2002), series, Director
- *Greg the Bunny* (2002), series, Director
- *Andy Richter Controls the Universe* (2002), series, Director
- *The Random Years* (2002), series, Director
- *The Bernie Mac Show* (2001), series, Director
- *Raising Dad* (2001), series, Director
- *Kristin* (2001), series, Director
- *Three Sisters* (2001), series, Director
- *Gilmore Girls* (2000), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md)
- *Battery Park* (2000), series, Director
- *Titus* (2000), series, Director
- *Ladies Man* (1999), series, Director
- *Judging Amy* (1999), series, Director
- *Becker* (1998), series, Director
- *Maggie Winters* (1998), series, Director
- *Conrad Bloom* (1998), series, Director
- *Costello* (1998), series, Director
- *For Your Love* (1998), series, Director
- *Union Square* (1997), series, Director
- *Fired Up* (1997), series, Director
- *Just Shoot Me!* (1997), series, Director
- *Suddenly Susan* (1996), series, Director
- *Spin City* (1996), series, Director
- *Hudson Street* (1995), series, Director
- *Ned & Stacey* (1995), series, Director
- *NewsRadio* (1995), series, Director
- *The Nanny* (1993), series, Director
- *Other Mothers* (1993), Director
- *Mad About You* (1992), series, Director
- *Love & War* (1992), series, Director
- *Princesses* (1991), series, Director
- *Going Places* (1990), series, Director
- *Northern Exposure* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/northern-exposure.md)
- *His & Hers* (1990), series, Director
- *Open House* (1989), series, Director
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), series, Director — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Full House* (1987), series, Director
- *I Married Dora* (1987), series, Director
- *Duet* (1987), series, Director
- *Amen* (1986), series, Director
- *Head of the Class* (1986), series, Director
- *The Hogan Family* (1986), series, Director
- *Brothers* (1984), series, Director
- *Newhart* (1982), series, Director
- *Family Ties* (1982), series, Director
- *Benson* (1979), series, Director
- *Diff'rent Strokes* (1978), series, Director
- *Alice* (1976), 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/lee-shallat-chemel