Ralph Abbott Senensky (May 1, 1923 – November 1, 2025) was an American television director and screenwriter.
Life and career Senensky was born in Mason City, Iowa, on May 1, 1923 to William, the co-owner of a clothing store, and Jenny Senensky, a homemaker. He attended Mason City High School. He served in Europe during World War II from 1943 to 1945 and was eventually stationed in Belgium. He studied at the Pasadena Playhouse and worked as a stage director of 45 productions and as a production supervisor on Playhouse 90 before directing for television.Dr. Kildare: Special: First Day First Film Senensky directed multiple episodes for dozens of television shows, as well as made-for-TV films from 1958 to 1988, including The Fugitive, Naked City, Route 66, Mission: Impossible, Dynasty, The Paper Chase, The Big Valley, The Wild Wild West, Eight Is Enough, The Rookies, Trapper John, M.D., Dr. Kildare, Breaking Point, 12 O'Clock High, The F.B.I., The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Dan August, Nanny and the Professor, Barnaby Jones, Insight, Hart to Hart, Death Cruise, The New Adventures of Heidi, the original series of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Ironside, The Partridge Family and The Waltons. He also directed most of the feature film Harper Valley PTA. For Breaking Point, he directed an episode that had one of the first gay storylines in a TV show. He directed six full Star Trek episodes and was fired partway through the filming of "The Tholian Web". Among the episodes of The Waltons directed by Senensky was "Grandma Comes Home", which earned an Emmy Award nomination for Ellen Corby.
He retired in 1988, but has had small stints directing since, including a theatre production and a film short. He turned 100 on May 1, 2023. With the death of Robert Butler on November 3, 2023, Senensky was the last surviving person to have directed an episode of the original series of Star Trek, before his own death in a hospital in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, on November 1, 2025, at the age of 102.
Filmography
Films Year Film Credit Notes 1970The CliffDirectorTelevision movie1973A Dream for ChristmasDirectorTelevision movieA Dream For ChristmasWinesburg, OhioDirectorTelevision movie1974The Family KovacDirectorDeath CruiseDirectorTelevision movie 1975The Family Nobody WantedDirectorTelevision movie 1976Jeremiah of Jacob's NeckDirectorTelevision movie1978Harper Valley PTADirector (Uncredited)The New Adventures of HeidiDirectorTelevision movie1980Dan August: Once Is Never EnoughDirectorEdit of his prior TV work for movie formDan August: Murder, My FriendDirector Edit of his prior TV work for movie formTreachery and Greed on the Planet of the ApesDirector 1981Big Bend CountryDirectorTelevision movie 2013The Right RegretsDirectorShort
Television Year TV Series Credit Notes 1958–1959Playhouse 90Production supervisor, production coordinator4 episodes 1961–1965Dr. KildareDirector5 episodes 1962CheckmateDirector1 episode1963ChanningDirector1 episodeChanning: A Hall Full Of Strangers: Filmed December 1962East Side/West SideDirector1 episodeEast Side West Side: Age Of Consent: Filmed July 1963Naked CityDirector3 episodesRoute 66Director2 episodesThe Twilight ZoneDirector1 episode1963–1964Arrest and TrialDirector2 episodesBreaking PointDirector3 episodesThe NursesDirector2 episodesThe Nurses 1963–1965Kraft Suspense TheatreDirector3 episodesSuspense Theatre 1964–1965The FugitiveDirector4 episodes1965Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler TheatreDirector1 episodeChrysler Theatre: Perilous Times: Filmed February 1965The Long, Hot SummerDirector1 episodeSlattery's PeopleDirector1 episode12 O'Clock HighDirector4 episodes1966The Big ValleyDirector1 episodeThe Wild Wild WestDirector2 episodes 1966–1972The F.B.I.Director16 episodes1967The High ChaparralDirector1 episodeJudd, for the DefenseDirector1 episodeJudd For The Defense: The Money Farm: Filmed August 1967Mission: ImpossibleDirector1 episode1967–1968IronsideDirector2 episodesStar TrekDirector episodes1968I SpyDirector1 episodeMannixDirector1 episodeThe Name of the GameDirector1 episode 1969Then Came BronsonDirector1 episode1969–1970The Bill Cosby ShowDirector4 episodesThe Courtship of Eddie's FatherDirector6 episodes 1969–1980InsightDirector15 episodes1970The InternsDirector1 episodeMatt LincolnDirector1 episode1970–1971Nanny and the ProfessorDirector6 episodesThe Partridge FamilyDirector7 episodes1971Dan AugustDirector5 episodesGetting TogetherDirector3 episodes1972BanyonDirector3 episodesNight GalleryDirector1 episode 1972–1973The RookiesDirector2 episodes 1973SearchDirector1 episode 1973–1975Barnaby JonesDirector3 episodes 1973–1978The WaltonsDirector12 episodes 1974Planet of the ApesDirector1 episode1975The Blue KnightDirector1 episodeThe Family HolvakDirector2 episodesMedical StoryDirector1 episodeThree for the RoadDirector2 episodes 1976City of AngelsDirector1 episode1977Eight Is EnoughDirector1 episodeFamilyDirector1 episodeWestside MedicalDirector1 episode 1978James at 16Director1 episode1979How the West Was WonDirector1 episodeTrapper John, M.D.Director1 episode 1979–1984Hart to HartDirector7 episodes1980Lou GrantDirector1 episodeYoung MaverickDirector1 episode 1981DynastyDirector4 episodes 1983CasablancaDirector2 episodes 1984Paper DollsDirector3 episodes 1985–1986The Paper ChaseDirector7 episodes
See also List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)
References
Further reading "Ralph Senensky Directing Little Theater Production". Mason City Globe-Gazette. January 5, 1949. p. 12
External links
Interview with Ralph Senensky at StarTrekHistory.com Ralph's Trek – personal blog