Pamela Gail Fryman (born August 19, 1959) is an American sitcom director and producer. She was the principal director of the television series How I Met Your Mother, directing 196 of the show's 208 episodes.

Biography Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fryman got her first job on The John Davidson Show as an assistant to the talent coordinator, and went on to be a booth production assistant and secretary on Santa Barbara, eventually moving up to assistant director (AD), and director. In 1993, producer Peter Noah, with whom she had worked on the game show Dream House, gave Fryman a chance to direct an episode of the short-lived sitcom Café Americain.

Fryman, who had done stage directing earlier in her career, was hired for that reason by Frasier creator and executive producer David Lee due to that show's rehearsal resembling play staging. Fryman directed 34 episodes of the show from seasons four through eight.

She also became main director on Just Shoot Me!, directing 94 out of the 148 episodes the show aired.

Fryman directed the majority of the episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Show creator Craig Thomas praised her communication skills, saying, "She makes everyone feel they've been heard and respected and she can connect with anyone." Though Fryman's original career plan did not include directing (she figured she would "follow in her father's footsteps in merchandising"), she has grown to realize that directing is her forte and passion. In Variety magazine, Fryman said that continuing to direct How I Met Your Mother is her fantasy realized. In 2014, she officiated the wedding of How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, who played a side role in the show.

She also directed 19 out of the 30 episodes of How I Met Your Father.

She achieved the milestone of directing her 500th episode of television in 2016 with the third episode of the third season of The Odd Couple.

Awards Fryman has received recognition from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences also known as the (ATAS), the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, Goldderby.com, the Online Film & Television Association also known as the (OFTA), and the Women in Film organization.

1990 Won - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team (Santa Barbara) 1991 Won - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team (Santa Barbara) 1998 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series ("Halloween (Part 1)") (Frasier) 1999 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series ("Two Girls for Every Boy") (Just Shoot Me!) 2000 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series ("The Flight Before Christmas") (Frasier) 2001 Nominated - Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series ("And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon (Part 1 & 2)") (Frasier) 2009 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (How I Met Your Mother) 2011 Nominated - Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Direction in a Comedy Series (How I Met Your Mother) 2011 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series ("Subway Wars") (How I Met Your Mother) 2011 Won - Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Award, Dorothy Arzner Directors Award 2020 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special (Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times") (shared with Andy Fisher)

Filmography

Film YearTitleCredited asNotesDirectorProducer2001The Gene PoolTelevision Movie2001Count Me InTelevision Movie2003The SnobsTelevision Movie2006You've Reached the ElliottsTelevision Movie2006Sex, Power, Love & PoliticsTelevision Movie2006InseparableTelevision Movie2007The Minister of DivineTelevision Movie2009The KarenskysTelevision Movie2009CBS Fall PreviewTelevision special2010True LoveTelevision Movie2010Livin' on a PrayerTelevision Movie2010FreshmanTelevision Movie2011The AssistantsTelevision Movie2011And They're OffFeature Film; Producer2012Table for ThreeTelevision Movie2013Divorce: A Love StoryTelevision Movie2014Save the DateTelevision Movie2014Cuz-BrosTelevision Movie2014Cabot CollegeTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer2014How I Met Your DadTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer2015The Perfect StanleysTelevision Movie2015The History of UsTelevision Movie2016My Time Your TimeTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer2016Good FortuneTelevision Movie2017DistefanoTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer2017Real LifeTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer2018Most Likely ToTelevision Movie2018History of ThemTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer2018Making FriendsTelevision Movie; also Executive Producer

Television YearTitleCredited asNotesDirectorProducer1990–1993Santa Barbara21 episodes (director); 177 episodes (also associate director)Episode: "#1.916" (actor)1994Cafe AmericainEpisode: "Oh, Brother"1994Muddling Through3 episodes1994–1997Friends2 episodes1995The Boys Are BackEpisode: "Bad Hair Day"1995Bringing Up JackEpisode: "Close Personal Friends"1995The Single Guyunknown episode1995Dweebs9 episodes1995–1996Bless This House3 episodes1996Ned and StaceyEpisode: "Friends and Lovers"1996Good Company2 episodes1996Caroline in the CityEpisode: "Caroline and the Cereal"1996Hope & Gloria2 episodes1996PearlEpisode: "The Two Mrs. Rizzos"1996Townies7 episodes1996–1997The Naked Truth3 episodes1996–1997Cybill4 episodes1997Fired Up2 episodes1997Suddenly Susan5 episodes1997-1998George and Leo4 episodes1997–2001Frasier34 episodes1998The Simple LifeEpisode: "Pilot"1998Maggie WintersEpisode: "Pilot1998Encore! Encore!Episode: "I Am Joe's Ego"1998The King of Queens3 episodes1998–2003Just Shoot Me!95 episodes (director); 46 episodes (also Executive Producer)1999NormEpisode: "Drive, Norm Said" also known as "The Norm Show"1999Work with MeEpisode: "Pilot"1999Love & MoneyEpisode: "Pilot"2000Welcome to New Yorkunknown episode2001Three Sisters3 episodes2001Inside Schwartz2 episodes2002In-Laws2 episodes2003My Big Fat Greek LifeEpisode: "The House Gift"2003–2004Happy Family22 episodes (director); 21 episodes (also Executive Producer)2004–2005Two and a Half Men20 episodes2005–2014How I Met Your Mother208 episodes (Executive Producer); 196 episodes (also director);2006Courting AlexEpisode: "A Tale of Two Kisses"2009Accidentally on Purpose2 episodes2011Mad LoveEpisode: "Fireworks"2011How to Be a Gentleman2 episodes2012Friend Meunknown episode2013MomEpisode: "Pilot"2014–2015The McCarthys11 episodes (director); 11 episodes (also Executive Producer)2015Truth Be Told7 episodes (director); 7 episodes (also Executive Producer)2016–2017The Odd Couple3 episodes2016–2018Man with a Plan12 episodes2017–20189JKL8 episodes (director); 8 episodes (also Executive Producer)2017–2020One Day at a Time11 episodes (director); Episode: "This Is It" (Executive Producer)2018Murphy BrownEpisode: "Pilot" (director); Episode: "Pilot" (also Executive Producer)2019Abby's5 episodes (director); also Executive Producer2019–2020Carol's Second Act8 episodes (director)2019Merry Happy Whatever4 episodes (director); also Executive Producer2019Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"Television special (director)2021Call Your Mother10 episodes (director); also, Executive Producer2021Pretty Smart3 episodes (director); also, executive producer2022–2023How I Met Your Father19 episodes (director); also, executive producer 2023–2024Night Court6 episodes (director); also executive producer 2024-2026Happy's Place15 episodes (director); also executive producer

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