John Erman
American television director and producer (1935–2021)
title: "John Erman" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1935-births", "2021-deaths", "american-television-directors", "television-producers-from-illinois", "film-directors-from-illinois", "primetime-emmy-award-winners", "male-actors-from-chicago", "directors-guild-of-america-award-winners", "businesspeople-from-chicago"] description: "American television director and producer (1935–2021)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Erman" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American television director and producer (1935–2021) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | John Erman |
| image | John Erman.jpg |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| other_names | John M. Erman |
| education | {{Plainlist |
| occupation | {{Plainlist |
| years_active | 1955–2006 |
| spouse | Richard Blair |
| :: |
| name = John Erman | image = John Erman.jpg | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | other_names = John M. Erman | education = {{Plainlist|
- Beverly Hills High School
- University of California, Los Angeles | occupation = {{Plainlist|
- Television director
- Television producer | years_active = 1955–2006 | spouse = Richard Blair
John Erman (August 3, 1935 – June 25, 2021) was an American television director, producer, and actor. He was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, winning once for the film Who Will Love My Children? (1983). He also won two Directors Guild of America Awards for the miniseries Roots (1977) and the film An Early Frost (1985).
Career
Born in Hyde Park, Chicago, Erman spent the early years of his career, after a few small roles in films such as The Cosmic Man (1957), directing episodes of such primetime series as Peyton Place, The Fugitive, The Outer Limits (original series), Stoney Burke, Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, That Girl, The Flying Nun, Marcus Welby, M.D., Star Trek (original series), and Judd, for the Defense.
Erman directed episodes of Roots and its sequel, Roots: The Next Generations, as well as Alex Haley's Queen. He helmed many television films, including Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn, Green Eyes, Child of Glass, The Scarlett O'Hara War, Who Will Love My Children?, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, Right to Kill?, An Early Frost, The Atlanta Child Murders, The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank, David, Breathing Lessons, Scarlett, The Sunshine Boys, Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke, The Boys Next Door, and Candles on Bay Street, many of which he also produced.
Erman directed the feature films Making It (1971), Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies (1973, credited as Bill Sampson) and Stella (1990).
Death
Erman died on June 25, 2021, in New York City, New York after a brief illness, at age 85.
Awards and nominations
[[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
::data[format=table]
[[Directors Guild of America Awards]]
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| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Outstanding Directing – Drama Series | Roots ("Part II") | |
| 1984 | Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film | Who Will Love My Children? | |
| 1986 | An Early Frost | ||
| :: |
Filmography
Film
Director
- Making It (1971)
- Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies (1973) (Credited as "Bill Sampson")
- Stella (1990)
Actor ::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Blackboard Jungle | Daly | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Benny Goodman Story | Harry Goodman (aged 16) | |
| Anything Goes | Boy | Uncredited | |
| 1959 | The Cosmic Man | Radar Operator | |
| :: |
Television
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| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962-63 | Stoney Burke | 11 Episodes; | ||
| Also assistant to producer | ||||
| 1963-64 | The Outer Limits | 19 episodes (first season only); | ||
| Also production associate, casting consultant | ||||
| 1964 | The Fugitive | 1 Episode | ||
| Ben Casey | 1 Episode | |||
| 1965 | Karen | 1 Episode | ||
| 1965-66 | My Favorite Martian | 12 Episodes | ||
| 1966 | Please Don’t Eat The Daisies | 6 Episodes | ||
| 1966-67 | That Girl | 10 Episodes | ||
| 1967 | Occasional Wife | 1 Episode | ||
| 1967-68 | The Second Hundred Years | 4 Episodes | ||
| 1967-69 | Judd, for the Defense | 3 Episodes | ||
| Peyton Place | 12 Episodes | |||
| 1968 | Star Trek | 1 Episode | ||
| The Flying Nun | 4 Episodes | |||
| 1968-70 | The Ghost & Mrs. Muir | 8 Episodes | ||
| 1969 | Bracken's World | 1 Episode | ||
| Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | 2 Episodes | |||
| 1969-74 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | 5 Episodes | ||
| 1970 | Room 222 | 2 Episodes | ||
| 1971 | Arnie | 1 Episode | ||
| 1974 | The Girl with Something Extra | 1 Episode | ||
| 1975 | The Bob Newhart Show | 1 Episode | ||
| Karen | 3 Episodes | |||
| MAS*H | 1 Episode | |||
| 1976 | Family | 4 Episodes | ||
| Good Heavens | 1 Episode | |||
| 1977 | Roots | 1 Episode | ||
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | 3 Episodes | ||
| 1985 | The Atlanta Child Murders | |||
| 1987 | The Two Mrs. Grenvilles | |||
| 1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | |||
| 1994 | Scarlett | |||
| 1999 | Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke | |||
| 2001 | Victoria & Albert | 2 Episodes | ||
| :: |
Actor
- Navy Log (1957)
- West Point (1957)
- Playhouse 90 (1958)
- Profiles in Courage (1965)
TV movies ::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Letters from Three Lovers | ||
| 1977 | Green Eyes | ||
| Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn | |||
| 1978 | Child of Glass | ||
| Just Me and You | |||
| 1979 | My Old Man | ||
| 1980 | The Scarlett O'Hara War | ||
| This Year's Blonde | |||
| The Silent Lovers | |||
| 1982 | The Letter | ||
| Eleanor, First Lady of the World | |||
| 1983 | Another Woman's Child | ||
| Who Will Love My Children? | |||
| 1984 | A Streetcar Named Desire | ||
| 1985 | Right to Kill? | ||
| An Early Frost | |||
| 1987 | When the Time Comes | ||
| 1988 | The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank | ||
| David | |||
| 1990 | The Last Best Year | ||
| 1991 | The Last to Go | ||
| Our Sons | |||
| Carolina Skeletons | |||
| 1994 | Breathing Lessons | ||
| 1996 | The Boys Next Door | ||
| The Sunshine Boys | |||
| 1997 | Ellen Foster | ||
| 1998 | Only Love | ||
| 2004 | The Blackwater Lightship | ||
| 2006 | Candles on Bay Street | ||
| :: |
References
References
- (May 23, 1980). "Director John Erman Is Proud of 'Moviola'". Mason Valley News.
- Pedersen, Erik. (June 29, 2021). "John Erman Dies: Emmy Winner Who Directed For 'Star Trek', 'Roots' & 'MAS*H' Was 85".
- Barnes, Mike. (July 6, 2021). "John Erman, Emmy-Winning Director and Frequent Ann-Margret Collaborator, Dies at 85".
- Nakamura, Reid. (July 6, 2021). "John Erman, Emmy-Winning 'Roots' and 'Star Trek' Director, Dies at 85".
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