---
name: "Steve Miner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/steve-miner"
roles: ["Director","Producer"]
born: "18 June 1951"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T21:21:05.627097+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."
---

# Steve Miner

Director and producer. Born 18 June 1951 in Westport, Connecticut, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer
- **Born:** 18 June 1951, Westport, Connecticut, USA
- **Also known as:** Stephen Miner, Стив Минер

## Fi1m on Steve Miner

> Steve Miner’s work is worth more attention than a list of horror sequels suggests. His feel for humour carries into television, where *The Wonder Years* gives us the strongest reason to recommend him.

Fred Savage makes adolescence funny in *The Wonder Years* (1988) without suggesting that it is easy. We were touched by his performance because the laughter never makes those adolescent difficulties seem trivial. Miner directed the pilot and multiple episodes, and also served as supervising producer. That is a substantial contribution, though the pleasure of watching Savage should not become an excuse to give the director credit for everything. We value this side of Miner’s work at least as much as the scares.

Miner had worked with producer and director Sean S. Cunningham before making his directorial debut with *Friday the 13th Part 2* (1981). He followed it with the 3D *Friday the 13th Part III* (1982), then mixed suspense with humour in *House* (1985). That combination gives us more to value than the ability to deliver another instalment. He can take the business of frightening an audience seriously without insisting on solemnity.

In 1988, *The Wonder Years* gave that interest in humour a different use. Its warmth deserves the strong recommendation we gave it, but there is a reservation worth keeping in view. Daniel Stern’s narration sometimes explains what the actors have already made clear. This matters to our view of the directing too: the programme works well enough through its performances that the additional explanation can feel unnecessary, however reassuring it was meant to be.

*Big Bully* (1996) is the caution about his adaptability: away from horror, the comedy can become formulaic. Returning to an established series worked better in *Halloween H20: 20 Years Later* (1998), with Jamie Lee Curtis back and a self-aware approach to the scares. *Lake Placid* (1999) again found room for humour inside a creature feature.

His later work shifted mainly towards television, with *Dawson’s Creek* and *Smallville* among his series credits. His own account of directing stresses what a scene should make us feel and how it contributes to the story, which seems a sensible priority for that work. Start with *The Wonder Years*, for Savage as much as for Miner.

## Biography

Steve Miner is an American film and television director and producer. He directed nine episodes of the series *The Wonder Years* (1988), on which he also served as supervising producer. His work on the series earned him a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series and Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Miner began his career with production roles on films including *Friday the 13th* (1980). He made his directorial debut with *Friday the 13th Part 2* (1981) and directed its sequel *Friday the 13th Part III* (1982); he is the only director to have helmed more than one film in the series. His other feature credits include *House* (1985), *Halloween H20: 20 Years Later* (1998) and *Lake Placid* (1999). He has also directed episodes of series including *Dawson's Creek*, *Smallville* and *Psych*.

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

## On Fi1m (1)

- *The Wonder Years* (1988), Fi1m 82, Director, Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)

## Also known for

- *Smallville* (2001), Director
- *Once Upon a Time* (2011), Director
- *Friday the 13th Part 2* (1981), Director
- *Halloween H20: 20 Years Later* (1998), Director
- *Friday the 13th Part III* (1982), Director
- *Lake Placid* (1999), Director
- *Psych* (2006), Director
- *Forever Young* (1992), Director

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© 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/steve-miner