Mel Damski

Mel Damski, born and raised in New York City, is an award-winning director and producer. He went to college at Colgate University in upstate New York on a football scholarship, and, after graduating, wrote as a sports reporter for Long Island Newsday. After being accepted into the American Film Institute, Damski moved to Los Angeles in 1972 to begin classes. He started his directorial career in 1976, helming three episodes of the detective drama "Barnaby Jones" and two episodes of the cult hit "The Bionic Woman." Damski's longest tenure on a TV show in the 1970s came on the Ed Asner newspaper drama "Lou Grant,"for which he directed seven episodes, one of which was nominated for an Emmy. Though his early career was spent predominantly in drama, Damski guest direced an episode of the massively popular war comedy "M.A.S.H." at the end of 1978. He was nominated for another Emmy for his work on the pilot episode of the short-lived "American Dream" in 1981. Not limiting himself to television shows, Damski worked on several TV movies in the 1980s and 1990s, and was nominated for an Oscar in 1998 for his documentary short "Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies." After stints directing for many successful shows such as "Ally McBeal" and "Charmed," Damski became the producing director of the crime comedy "Psych." Damksi has also taught classes on film and television at N.Y.U.