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Richard Michaels

Director · Born February 15, 1936 (90) · Brooklyn, New York, United States

Richard Michaels is an American television director and producer whose career spanned several decades, particularly from the 1960s through the 1990s. He is best known for directing over 50 episodes of the classic sitcom Bewitched (1964–1972), significantly contributing to its enduring popularity. Michaels also directed television movies such as ...And Your Name Is Jonah (1979) and Homeward Bound (1980). His work is characterized by a keen sense of comedic timing and a deep understanding of television production.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 15, 1936 (90)
From
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Works as
Director
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 37 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 14% in 30 days

What are Richard Michaels' films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
41%
Self
19%
Power
14%
Society
13%
Survival
8%
Morality
5%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

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 7 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 8 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Warm
4
Hopeful
5
Bittersweet
2
Absurd
2
Other
14

How their films linger

Hopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet7

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 Richard Michaels' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Richard Michaels' 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

37 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • Father and Scout(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Miss America: Behind the Crown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Backfield in Motion(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Her Wicked Ways (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Love and Betrayal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • Red River(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Indiscreet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • I'll Take Manhattan(1987)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Rockabye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Silence of the Heart(1984)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sadat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • One Cooks, the Other Doesn't (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Blue Skies Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • The Children Nobody Wanted(1981)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Berlin Tunnel 21(1981)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Homeward Bound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • Scared Straight! Another Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • The Plutonium Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • Once Upon a Family(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • ...and Your Name Is Jonah(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • My Husband Is Missing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Leave Yesterday Behind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Having Babies II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • Charlie Cobb: Nice Night for a Hanging(1977)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Once an Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

  • How Come Nobody's on Our Side? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Dusty's Trail(1973)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows

  • The Brady Bunch(1969)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • The Second Hundred Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 26 episodes · Associate Producer

  • Bewitched(1964)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Lonely Are the Brave(1962)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Young Philadelphians(1959)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Hired Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Script Supervisor

  • Dino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Script Supervisor

Career shape

A full career of 36 titles from 1957 to 1994.

Highest rated

...and Your Name Is Jonah (1979)

Midcredits 82nd

Most popular right now

Dusty's Trail (1973)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing31 of 36: 31 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score51stProducing1 of 36: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleOther crew4 of 36: 4 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s3 · crew1960s4 · crew1970s7 · crew1980s16 · crew1990s6 · 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 Richard Michaels' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

24thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 17 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · director

Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story (1985)

85th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

...and Your Name Is Jonah (1979)

Midcredits 82nd · 72% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 60/100 and the pacing 56/100 in their films, across 6 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 Richard Michaels work with?

People who share at least 2 of Richard Michaels' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Barry Bostwick shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers