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Michael Dinner

Michael Dinner

Director and producer · Born May 20, 1953 (73)

Michael Dinner is an American director, producer, and screenwriter for television. Prior to his TV career, he was a recording artist for Fantasy Records.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 20, 1953 (73)
Works as
Director and producer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 45% in 30 days

What are Michael Dinner's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Self
26%
Morality
23%
Power
7%
Society
4%
Ideas
4%
Survival
3%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Warm
3
Absurd
3
Hopeful
3
Thrilling
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Michael Dinner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Dinner's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

39 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page.

  • Justified: City Primeval(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Silo(2023)

    Show 20 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Amazing Stories(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Unbelievable(2019)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Blood & Treasure(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Mayans M.C.(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Electric Dreams(2017)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Manhunt(2017)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Get Down(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Sneaky Pete(2015)

    Show 20 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Masters of Sex(2013)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Blacklist(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Mob Doctor(2012)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Outlaw Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Justified(2010)

    Show 78 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Beast(2009)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Sons of Anarchy(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Bionic Woman(2007)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • Kidnapped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Producer

  • Invasion(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Grey's Anatomy(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Demarco Affairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Karen Sisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Mister Sterling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Producer

  • The $treet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Producer

  • The Crew(2000)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Fantasy Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Dellaventura (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Early Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 90 episodes · Director · Producer

  • Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 141 episodes · Director · Producer

  • Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story(1994)

    Director · Supervising Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Hot to Trot(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Wonder Years(1988)

    Show 115 episodes · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Off Beat(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Heaven Help Us(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • The Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 39 titles, 38 of them dated from 1982 to 2023.

Biggest box office

The Crew (2000)

$13M worldwide

Highest rated

Heaven Help Us (1985)

Midcredits 75th

Most popular right now

Amazing Stories (2020)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing38 of 39: 19 only directing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thWriting5 of 39: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing17 of 39: 0 only producing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thOther crew3 of 39: 0 only other crew, 3 with another role

39 titles, 20 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 16 of them.

By decade

1980s5 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s11 · crew2010s12 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Michael Dinner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 37th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · director, producer

Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story (1994)

69th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Sons of Anarchy (2008)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 53/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Michael Dinner work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael Dinner's MovieCove titles; Jim Stewart shares the most, 2.