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Beth McCarthy Miller

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Beth McCarthy Miller
Beth McCarthy Miller.jpg
Born September 3, 1963 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Sometimes credited as Beth McCarthy-Miller,
Beth McCarthy
Notable Shows Saturday Night Live
America: A Tribute to Heroes
Awards 2 DGA TV Awards

Beth McCarthy Miller is a TV director best known for her long run as staff director on Saturday Night Live, although she has also directed several notable specials, including the post-9/11 tribute America: A Tribute to Heroes.

Contents

Biography

Born in 1963, Beth McCarthy was the youngest of nine children. She attended the University of Maryland, where she studied a double major of film, television and radio and politics and government. During her freshman year, her father, who had been involved in her schooling and joked she was a communications major, passed away. At UMD, McCarthy worked for both college radio stations and the television station. She knew she wanted to work in broadcasting, but at first she intended to be involved with news. However, an internship at CNN made her realize the news industry was not for her, and she began to seek entertainment-related work.

Her first job in that field was an internship at the then-fledgling basic cable network MTV. She worked her way up from intern in the acquisitions department to associate director and associate producer in just two years. MTV was just beginning to air original programming, and McCarthy was one of its first crew members on such shows as Unplugged and Remote Control. In 1988, a position opened up as full producer for the network, and McCarthy was tempted to accept it, but a director suggested she wait for a directing job. When opened up six months later, she became a full-fledged director.

In 1993, McCarthy was offered the chance to direct the pilot for a new talk show starring an up-and-coming comedian. She accepted and became staff director for The Jon Stewart Show, which also began her life-long friendship with host Jon Stewart. When The John Stewart Show left MTV for syndication, she ended her nine-year career with the network to continue to work with Stewart's show.

In 1995, The Jon Stewart Show was cancelled, but McCarthy was not without work for long. She soon received offers as staff director from two shows: Late Show with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live. She accepted the SNL gig, where she replaced Dave Wilson, who had directed the show for its first twenty seasons. McCarthy took over with the twenty-first season, and she, too, would have a long run, all the way through its thirty-first season.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 caused an outpouring of sympathy and support from the international community and the entertainment industry. On September 21, McCarthy directed the star-studded, award-winning tribute special America: A Tribute to Heroes, which aired on all four broadcast networks—ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX—as well as several cable networks.

In early 2002, McCarthy was married, and the former Beth McCarthy became Beth McCarthy Miller. Four years later, she left SNL. She lives in New York, New York and continues to direct the occasional special.

Director

Staff Director

Series Year(s) Credit Season(s)
The Jon Stewart Show 1993 –1995 Director 1 2
Saturday Night Live 1995 –2006 Director 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
The Colin Quinn Show 2002 Director 1

Episode Director

Series Episode Airdate Credit
The Rosie O'Donnell Show 1x01 - Show 1 June 10, 1996

Specials and Made-for-TV Movies Directed

Title Credit Airdate Series/Banner
Nirvana Unplugged December 16, 1993 Unplugged
Eagles: Hell Freezes Over October 26, 1994
James Taylor Live May 30, 1998
25th Anniversary Special September 26, 1999 Saturday Night Live
Super Bowl XXXV Halftime Show January 28, 2001 Super Bowl Halftime Show
America: A Tribute to Heroes September 21, 2001
NBC 75th Anniversary Special May 5, 2002
MTV Video Music Awards 2002 August 29, 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
The Best of Will Ferrell September 28, 2002 Saturday Night Live
MTV Video Music Awards 2003 August 28, 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
Elvis Costello September 25, 2003 Live by Request
The GQ Men of the Year Awards October 21, 2003
The Best of Christopher Walken May 22, 2004 Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2004 November 1, 2004 Saturday Night Live
The Best of Tom Hanks November 6, 2004 Saturday Night Live
The Best of Alec Baldwin May 28, 2005 Saturday Night Live
MTV Video Music Awards 2005 August 28, 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit for Autism Education October 15, 2006
Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education April 13, 2008

Producer

Specials and Made-for-TV Movies Produced

Title Credit Airdate Series/Banner
MTV Video Music Awards 2003 Supervising Producer August 28, 2003 MTV Video Music Awards

Awards and Accolades

Primetime Emmy Awards

(5 Nominations)

  • Nominated: Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program (1998-99)
Saturday Night Live - 24x07 - Jennifer Love Hewitt/Beastie Boys
  • Nominated: Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program (1999-2000)
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
  • Nominated: Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (2001-02)
America: A Tribute to Heroes
  • Nominated: Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (2002-03)
Saturday Night Live - 28x13 - Christopher Walken/Foo Fighters
  • Nominated: Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (2005-06)
Saturday Night Live - 31x12 - Steve Martin/Prince

DGA TV Awards

(4 Nominations/2 Wins)

  • Nominated: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety (1999)
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
  • Won: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety (2000)
Saturday Night Live - 26x07 - Val Kilmer/U2
  • Won: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety (2001)
America: A Tribute to Heroes
  • Nominated: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety (2003)
Saturday Night Live - 28x13 - Christopher Walken/Foo Fighters