Bill Foster (director)
Encyclopedia
Billy Ray Foster was an American
television director
known for his work with sitcoms. His credits, which spanned more than fifty years and encompassed hundreds of hours, included episodes of Full House
, Sanford and Son
, Amen
, Marblehead Manor
and You Again?
.
Foster directed the 1967 pilot episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
, which earned him the only Emmy nomination of his career. Foster went on to direct the television broadcasts of the 23rd
and 24th Primetime Emmy Awards
in 1971 and 1972 respectively. He also directed the AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Cagney
in 1974, for which he won a Directors Guild of America Award in 1975.
In 1986, Foster directed the now infamous live syndicated special, The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, which was hosted by Geraldo Rivera
. The special, which advertised the potential to find the secrets of Al Capone
buried in a vault beneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago
, turned up very little.
Foster spent much of his career directing television sitcoms, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. He directed 43 episodes of the sitcom, Benson
, between 1982 and 1986. Foster also directed 36 separate episodes of NBC's Amen
, which starred Sherman Hemsley
and Clifton Davis
, between 1986 and 1989. Foster largely retired after directing 23 episodes of the ABC
television series, Full House
, from 1989 to 1990.
Bill Foster died of cancer on February 2, 2011, in Los Angeles, California
, at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife, Lynn, and children, Julia and Susan.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
known for his work with sitcoms. His credits, which spanned more than fifty years and encompassed hundreds of hours, included episodes of Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
, Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, Amen
Amen (TV series)
Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen starred Hemsley as the deacon of a church and was part of a wave of successful sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s...
, Marblehead Manor
Marblehead Manor
Marblehead Manor was an American television sitcom that originally ran from 1987 to 1988 in first run syndication. It starred British comic actor Paxton Whitehead, American actor Phil Morris, Canadian actress Linda Thorson, American actor and screenwriter Bob Fraser and Michael Richards...
and You Again?
You Again?
You Again? is an American situation comedy that was broadcast by NBC from February 27, 1986 to March 30, 1987 for two seasons.-Plot:You Again? stars Jack Klugman as Henry Willows, a man still embittered from his divorce ten years earlier, who had made no effort to see his son Matt during that time...
.
Foster directed the 1967 pilot episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
, which earned him the only Emmy nomination of his career. Foster went on to direct the television broadcasts of the 23rd
23rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 23rd Emmy Awards, later known as the 23rd Primetime Emmy Awards, were handed out in May 1971. The ceremony was hosted by Johnny Carson...
and 24th Primetime Emmy Awards
24th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 24th Emmy Awards, later known as the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards, were handed out in May 1972. The ceremony was hosted by Johnny Carson...
in 1971 and 1972 respectively. He also directed the AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Cagney
AFI Life Achievement Award
The AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute on February 26, 1973 to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television....
in 1974, for which he won a Directors Guild of America Award in 1975.
In 1986, Foster directed the now infamous live syndicated special, The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, which was hosted by Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
. The special, which advertised the potential to find the secrets of Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
buried in a vault beneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, turned up very little.
Foster spent much of his career directing television sitcoms, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. He directed 43 episodes of the sitcom, Benson
Benson (TV series)
Benson is an American television sitcom which aired from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986, on ABC. The series was a spin-off from the soap opera parody Soap ; however, Benson discarded the...
, between 1982 and 1986. Foster also directed 36 separate episodes of NBC's Amen
Amen (TV series)
Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen starred Hemsley as the deacon of a church and was part of a wave of successful sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s...
, which starred Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
and Clifton Davis
Clifton Davis
Clifton Duncan Davis is an American actor, songwriter and minister. He has appeared on the television shows as A World Apart, That's My Mama and Amen...
, between 1986 and 1989. Foster largely retired after directing 23 episodes of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series, Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
, from 1989 to 1990.
Bill Foster died of cancer on February 2, 2011, in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife, Lynn, and children, Julia and Susan.