The DGA thought “Succession” was the only well directed drama on TV this season. All five nominees for Best Directing, Drama went to the HBO show. Now, I love this show, but all five? No other shows? That is completely ridiculous and wrong. If I were a TV director in the DGA, I’d be mighty unhappy with that decision. “Billions,” “Bridgerton,” and “Yellowstone” were just some of the shows ignored and snubbed. (I’m assuming “The Crown” was off season, but I may be wrong.) Just crazy.

Anyway, “Succession” isn’t ‘directed. I thought it was cinema verite. Aren’t the Roys real? They seem like it.

DRAMATIC SERIES

KEVIN BRAY
Succession, “Retired Janitors of Idaho”
(HBO)

Mr. Bray’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jimmy Rosario, Nicole Payson Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

MARK MYLOD
Succession, “All the Bells Say”
(HBO)

Mr. Mylod’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Directors: Michelle Flevotomas, Nicholas Notte Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

ANDRIJ PAREKH
Succession, “What It Takes”
(HBO)

Mr. Parekh’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Flevotomas
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jimmy Rosario, Nicole Payson Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

ROBERT PULCINI & SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN
Succession, “Lion in the Meadow”
(HBO)

Mr. Pulcini & Ms. Berman’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Flevotomas Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario
Additional Second Assistant Director: Nicole Payson Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

LORENE SCAFARIA
Succession, “Too Much Birthday”
(HBO)

Ms. Scafaria’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jimmy Rosario, Nicole Payson

Additional Second Assistant Director: Matt O’Shea Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

COMEDY SERIES

LUCIA ANIELLO
Hacks, “There Is No Line”
(HBO Max)

Ms. Aniello’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Melanie J. Elin, David Hyman First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares
Second Second Assistant Director: Heidi Hinzman
Additional Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann

MJ DELANEY
Ted Lasso, “No Weddings and a Funeral”
(Apple TV+)

ERICA DUNTON
Ted Lasso, “Rainbow”
(Apple TV+)

SAM JONES
Ted Lasso, “Beard After Hours”
(Apple TV+)

MIKE WHITE
The White Lotus, “Mysterious Monkeys”
(HBO)

Mr. White’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mark Kamine First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry

Second Second Assistant Director: Dais Kasagawa

MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES

BARRY JENKINS
The Underground Railroad
(Amazon)

Mr. Jenkins’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Richleigh Heagh First Assistant Director: Liz Tan
Second Assistant Director: Elaine Wood
Second Second Assistant Director: Wayne Witherspoon
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Jesse Carmona, AJ Bruno

BARRY LEVINSON
Dopesick, “First Bottle”
(Hulu)

Mr. Levinson’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Marc Hammer First Assistant Director: Karen Kane
Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Ryan Petrucci Second Second Assistant Director: Alex Bonner

HIRO MURAI
Station Eleven, “Wheel of Fire”
(HBO Max)

Mr. Murai’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Dana Scott, David Nicksay First Assistant Director: Jennifer Wilkinson
Location Manager: Stefan Nikolov

DANNY STRONG
Dopesick, “The People vs. Purdue Pharma”
(Hulu)

Mr. Strong’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Marc Hammer First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress
Second Second Assistant Director: Alex Bonner

CRAIG ZOBEL
Mare of Easttown
(HBO)

Mr. Zobel’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Karen Wacker, Ron Schmidt First Assistant Director: Kayse Goodell
Second Assistant Director: Jackson Rowe
Second Second Assistant Directors: Blair Howley, Findlay Zotter Additional Second Assistant Directors: Findlay Zotter, Laura Hoyt

VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time With Bill Maher, “Episode 1935: Fareed Zakaria, Chris Christie, Eric Adams”
(HBO)

Mr. Casey’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney

JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Episode 1105”
(CBS)

Mr. Hoskinson’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib

DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, ” Keegan-Michael Key; Olivia Rodrigo”
(NBC)

Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk

DAVID PAUL MEYER
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “Episode 26112”
(Comedy Central)

Mr. Meyer’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Kira Klang Hopf Stage Manager: Bennymar Almonte

PAUL PENNOLINO & CHRISTOPHER WERNER
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Episode 830 – Season Finale”
(HBO)

Mr. Pennolino & Mr. Werner’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney

VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS

IAN BERGER
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents, “Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse – Into the Magaverse”
(Comedy Central)

BO BURNHAM
Bo Burnham: Inside
(Netflix)

PAUL DUGDALE
Adele: One Night Only
(CBS)

Mr. Dugdale’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Hayley Collett
Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Erica Christensen, Zachary Figures, Jackie Stathis

STAN LATHAN
Dave Chappelle: The Closer
(Netflix)

Mr. Lathan’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Sara Niimi Stage Manager: Valdez Flagg

GLENN P. WEISS
The 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors
(CBS)

Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Susan Kopensky, Ricky Kirshner, Lisa R. Anderson, Lori Margules
Stage Managers: John Esposito, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Arthur Lewis, Tammy Raab, Karen Tasch Weiss

REALITY PROGRAMS

JOSEPH GUIDRY
Full Bloom, “Final Floral Face Off”
(HBO Max)

Mr. Guidry’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Sean P. Galvin
Stage Managers: Myeisha Abram, Kristianna LaRoda, Rachel Shimko

PATRICK MCMANUS
American Ninja Warrior, “1304: Qualifiers 4”
(NBC)

Mr. McManus’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: David Massey
Stage Managers: Jeff Simms, T.J. Ganser, Wolfgang Delgado

RAMY ROMANY
Making the Cut, “Brand Statement”
(Amazon)

Mr. Romany’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Ryan Bunnell
Stage Managers: Will Baker, Brady Hess

BEN SIMMS
Running Wild with Bear Grylls, “Gina Carano In The Dolomites”
(National Geographic Channel)

Mr. Simms’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jeff Simms

ADAM VETRI
Getaway Driver, “Electric Shock”
(Discovery Channel)

Mr. Vetri’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: John Esposito Second Assistant Director: Eric Pai

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

JAMES BOBIN
The Mysterious Benedict Society, “A Bunch of Smart Orphans”
(Disney+)

Mr. Bobin’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Grace Gilroy

MICHAEL LEMBECK
The J Team
(Paramount+)

PHILL LEWIS
Head of the Class, “Three More Years”
(HBO Max)

Mr. Lewis’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Susan M. Crank First Assistant Director: Rebecca Baughman Second Assistant Director: Oliver Garrett
Associate Director: Tim Clark

SMRITI MUNDHRA
Through Our Eyes, “Shelter”
(HBO Max)

JEFF WADLOW
Are You Afraid of the Dark?, “The Tale of the Darkhouse”
(Nickelodeon)

COMMERCIALS

STEVE AYSON
(MJZ)
Anthem, Mattress Firm – Droga5
Unit Production Manager: Adriana Cebada-Mora First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Directors: Jesse Carmona, Brent Martin
Award Speech, Miller Lite – DDB Chicago
Networking, Miller Lite – DDB Chicago

KATHRYN BIGELOW
(SMUGGLER)
Hollywood In Your Pocket, iPhone 13 – Media Arts Lab
First Assistant Directors: Allison Kunzman, Arle Bordas Second Assistant Director: Abbey Hansen
Second Second Assistant Director: Cody Maher

IAN PONS JEWELL
(RESET)
ECG, Apple Watch – Apple Sleep, Apple Watch – Apple Time, Squarespace – Squarespace
Your Mom’s Short Ribs, Instacart – Goodby Silverstein

HENRY-ALEX RUBIN
(SMUGGLER)
Teenage Dream, Sandy Hook Promise – BBDO – New York First Assistant Director: Anthony Dimino
Second Assistant Director: David Ebel

BRADFORD YOUNG
(Serial Pictures x Somesuch)
Super. Human., Channel 4 Paralympics – 4Creative First Assistant Director: Jez Oakley

DOCUMENTARY

JESSICA KINGDON
Ascension
(Paramount+)

STANLEY NELSON
Attica
(Showtime)

RAOUL PECK
Exterminate All the Brutes
(HBO)

Mr. Peck’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Mathias Honoré

AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
(Searchlight Pictures)

ELIZABETH CHAI VASARHELYI & JIMMY CHIN
The Rescue
(National Geographic)

Ms.Vasarhelyi & Mr. Chin’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Joey Coughlin

First: “Sex and the City: And Just Like That” will likely be renewed any day now. It’s mindless enough, has the franchise name, and Michael Patrick King has set up enough new stories that they can do 10 more of these things without too much trouble.

Second: Today, episode 9 of the first 10 drops to the ground like a watermelon from David Letterman’s old window. It seemed like Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) had a drinking problem. She drank like a fish, everywhere, even stopped into Smith’s seedy Bar on Eighth Avenue for a morning drink. But that has all evaporated now. What could have been an Emmy winning storyline for Nixon has just frittered away. Instead, Miranda has dumped her husband for Che, so all her problems are so yesterday.

I may be one of the few people who can’t stand Che. It’s just too much of her. And too much of the relationship at the expense of Miranda’s marriage to Steve. Nixon is such a fine actress, I can watch her do anything. But the whole thing has felt forced.

Charlotte (Kristin Davis) has the best stories thanks to her daughters and her own navigating new friends who happen to be Black. Nicole Ari Parker and Chris Jackson are killing it as the Wexleys. I so want to see more of them. I want Paula Patton to play Lisa’s sister. I want the Wexleys to get their own show.

I also love Nya (Karen Pittman) and her husband is played by Shy Baldwin from “Mrs, Maisel,” the one and only Leroy McClain. But introducing two couples makes the chances for “Sex and the City” to be a little dull, no? As for Sarita Choudhury as the realtor, the jury is still out. She’s terrific, but the character so far has been there to prop up the fourth leg of the table with Kim Cattrall gone. But all of these new characters are so well drawn, they could literally move to their own series.

Carrie: is a mess. They’ve made her a rich widow. I have no idea what she does (the podcast is idiotic) in the New York literary world. She used to be a striver, a freelance writer who needed money and was navigating life in the city as a single girl. Now she’s “the white girl who writes checks.” Yikes. Take the money away from her, it’s holding her back as a character. And bring back Brenda Vaccaro!

Am I jazzed about the return of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”? Uh, duh!

The Emmy winning comedy returns to Amazon Prime on February 18th with two episodes. Then each week will come two more episodes at a time for four more weeks. I’ve seen the first two and they are outstanding. The show picks up right as Midge and Susie are left on the tarmac after being fired by Shy Baldwin (actor Leroy McClain, who is now on “Sex and the City: And Just Like That” doing a great job as usual).

There’s a sequence set at Coney Island that should win an Emmy, by the way. That’s all I can say. But it’s written and directed by Daniel Palladino, and it’s genius.

So tonight I just finished watching a panel discussion with the cast livestreamed by the 92nd St. Y. You can buy a ticket to it on their website. All the main players were there: Midge, her parents, Shirley Maisel, and Lenny Bruce. That’s Rachel Brosnahan, Tony Shalhoub, Maren Hinckle, Caroline Aaron, and Luke Kirby. Missing were Alex Borstein, who plays Susie, and Kevin Pollack who plays Moishe Maisel.

A couple of takeaways: Luke Kirby actually predicted he’d play Lenny Bruce way back at the start of his career. But he thought it would be in the stage play, “Lenny.” His dad found an old clipping of an interview in which Kirby did a Q&A with himself, and he laid it out. Weird, huh? Now he an Emmy Award.

Everyone on the panel praises Shalhoub, Brosnahan calls him a “national treasure.” She says no one enjoys laughing at Tony’s jokes like Tony. Shalhoub said the one thing he’d like to take home from the set is Borstein.  Brosnahan said the one character she’d like to play other than Midge is Susie, for the hats alone. Maren Hinkle revealed that like her character, Ruth, she likes to do matchmaking. She also speaks beautifully about the immigrant experience. Caroline Aaron is even funnier in person than Shirley, who she says will not need women’s lib (the show is set in 1960) because she already has it. Her life is perfect.

A great evening, a lovely preface to the series coming. Season 5 starts shooting any minute. And Season 6? Please God they go that far. This new season already every episode looks like it cost two million bucks. The sets, the costumes, insane. But it’s the writing, acting, and directing, many cuts above everything out there.

Also, no one asked Michael Zegen about his brothers’ plan to knock down small buildings on lower Fifth Avenue to build a granite billionaires’ lair. He was very charming nonetheless.

And one little spoiler:  Jane Lynch isn’t done with “Mrs. Maisel.” That’s all I can say.