---
name: "Michael W. Watkins"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-w-watkins"
fi1m_id: "michael-w-watkins"
imdb_id: "nm0914368"
tmdb_id: 40575
wikidata_id: "Q6835163"
roles: ["Director"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 71
average_as: "director"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-07T11:39:21.158608+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."
---

# Michael W. Watkins

## Identity

Michael W. Watkins

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-w-watkins
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-w-watkins
- **IMDb ID:** nm0914368
- **TMDB ID:** 40575
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6835163
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_W._Watkins, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6835163, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914368/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/40575

Director.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Active:** 1990–2017
- **Also known as:** Michael Watkins
- **Frequently works with:** [Karen Gaviola](https://film.one/person/karen-gaviola.md), [Bethany Rooney](https://film.one/person/bethany-rooney.md), [Eric Laneuville](https://film.one/person/eric-laneuville.md), [Félix Enríquez Alcalá](https://film.one/person/felix-alcala.md), [Guy Ferland](https://film.one/person/guy-ferland.md), [Michael Dinner](https://film.one/person/michael-dinner.md), [Nelson McCormick](https://film.one/person/nelson-mccormick.md), [Randy Zisk](https://film.one/person/randall-zisk.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 71, as director, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 79 (3), 2000s 66 (4), 2010s 71 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 71 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Crime 6, Mystery 4, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 3, Action & Adventure 2
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_W._Watkins, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6835163, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914368/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/40575

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Justified*](https://film.one/tv/justified.md) (87), [*The X-Files*](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md) (84), [*Grey's Anatomy*](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md) (68), [*Prison Break*](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md) (68), [*Smallville*](https://film.one/tv/smallville.md) (66)
- **Hulu:** [*Law & Order*](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) (72)
- **Netflix:** [*The Blacklist*](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md) (63)
- **Peacock:** [*Grimm*](https://film.one/tv/grimm.md) (63)
- **Apple TV:** [*Criminal Minds*](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md) (60)

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

## Biography

Michael W. Watkins is an American cinematographer, television director and television producer, often credited as Michael Watkins. He began his career in the 1970s and has worked across multiple roles in television.

Watkins directed episodes of *The X-Files* (including 'X-Cops' in 2000), *Smallville*, *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman*, *Monk*, *Law & Order* and numerous other series. He also served as co-executive producer on *The X-Files* (seasons 6–7) and *Prison Break*, and directed the television films *Deadlocked* (2000) and *The Rockford Files* (2010) as well as the miniseries *5ive Days to Midnight* (2004).

As a cinematographer, Watkins won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on *Quantum Leap*. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.

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

## On Fi1m (10)

- *The Blacklist* (2013), Fi1m 63, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md)
- *Grimm* (2011), Fi1m 63, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/grimm.md)
- *Justified* (2010), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), Fi1m 60, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Prison Break* (2005), Fi1m 68, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *Smallville* (2001), Fi1m 66, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/smallville.md)
- *NYPD Blue* (1993), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/nypd-blue.md)
- *The X-Files* (1993), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)

## Complete filmography (72)

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

- *SEAL Team* (2017), series, Director
- *The Blacklist* (2013), series, Director, Co-Executive Producer — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md)
- *Grimm* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/grimm.md)
- *Alphas* (2011), series, Director
- *Fairly Legal* (2011), series, Director
- *Knucklehead* (2010), Director
- *The Event* (2010), series, Director
- *Circle* (2010), Director
- *Justified* (2010), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/justified.md)
- *Caprica* (2010), series, Director
- *Warehouse 13* (2009), series, Director
- *Make It or Break It* (2009), series, Director
- *Royal Pains* (2009), series, Director
- *The Beast* (2009), series, Director
- *My Own Worst Enemy* (2008), series, Director
- *In Plain Sight* (2008), series, Director
- *Dirty Sexy Money* (2007), series, Director
- *The Lost Room* (2006), series, Director
- *Kidnapped* (2006), series, Director
- *Angela's Eyes* (2006), series, Director
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *Prison Break* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *Into the West* (2005), series, Director
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Numb3rs* (2005), series, Director
- *The 4400* (2004), series, Director
- *5ive Days to Midnight* (2004), series, Director
- *Las Vegas* (2003), series, Director, Co-Executive Producer
- *Boomtown* (2002), series, Director
- *American Dreams* (2002), series, Director
- *Prince William* (2002), Director
- *Monk* (2002), series, Director
- *Smallville* (2002), Director
- *Smallville* (2001), series, Director — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/smallville.md)
- *UC: Undercover* (2001), series, Director
- *The Agency* (2001), series, Director
- *The Guardian* (2001), series, Director
- *Little Shop of Erotica* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Night Visions* (2001), series, Director
- *Semper Fi* (2001), Executive Producer, Director
- *The $treet* (2000), series, Director
- *The District* (2000), series, Director
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, Director
- *Bull* (2000), series, Director
- *Deadlocked* (2000), Director
- *Brooklyn South* (1997), series, Director
- *Hostage High* (1997), Director
- *Desire* (1997), Director of Photography
- *To Love, Honor and Deceive* (1996), Director
- *Millennium* (1996), series, Director
- *Relativity* (1996), series, Director
- *The Naked Detective* (1996), Director of Photography
- *The Client* (1995), series, Director
- *The Monroes* (1995), series, Director
- *Crowfoot* (1995), Director of Photography
- *The Watcher* (1995), series, Director
- *Family Album* (1994), series, Director of Photography
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, Director
- *Accidental Meeting* (1994), Director of Photography
- *NYPD Blue* (1993), series, Director, Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/nypd-blue.md)
- *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman* (1993), series, Director
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Heart and Souls* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Point of No Return* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Steel Justice* (1992), Cinematography
- *For the Very First Time* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Waiting for God* (1990), series, Writer
- *Cold Sassy Tree* (1989), Cinematography, Director of Photography
- *Quantum Leap* (1989), series, Director, Director of Photography
- *The Glitter Dome* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Fighting Mad* (1976), Director of Photography

---
© 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/michael-w-watkins