Leading the Launch

Directing a pilot is a lot like being a foster parent.

It involves taking someone else's baby, nurturing it and, just when it's ready to stand on its own, saying goodbye — which would make David Semel a lock for television's Father of the Year.

The Hollywood veteran worked his way up from associate producer on shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 to director-executive producer on established series like Heroes, House and No Ordinary Family.

Now he's specializing as a director of pilots. Emmy contributor Craig Tomashoff talked to Semel about the allure of the job, his sought-after style and why watching TV makes him anxious.

You've directed and been an executive producer on the pilots for CBS's Code Black and Amazon's Man in the High Castle this season. In the past, you've directed the first episodes for shows like Madam Secretary, Intelligence and Person of Interest. Is it tough to get a show set up and then move on, just as they start catching fire?

For me, it's incredibly difficult to give a project up. It was very hard with Code Black and Man in the High Castle, because making the pilots was such a great experience.

With Code Black especially, we'd created this family and I saw them having a great long run together. It'd be great to be a part of that. But I always need to keep moving forward, too.

What's the most appealing aspect of pilots?

You have to be mindful that you're making this little movie that has to sell on its own but could, on some level, be repeated and done well. You're given a script and it's all put on your shoulders.

What's different about working on an established series?

When a show goes to series, two things happen. First, it's a writer's medium, so you go from the focus being on doing one great episode to now doing 10 or 13 or 22.

There's also the notion that you now have to have the trains run on time, so you're given a huge bag of compromise.

Which do you enjoy more?

It's all fun in its own way, but the reward of doing a pilot, creating something from scratch, is more like doing a feature. That's ultimately more challenging and rewarding.

Why do so many studios and networks pursue you for their pilots?

I really do become a bulldog for the material — I become an advocate for the vision of that script. And I think I have a very strong visual sense as well as a real affinity for actors.

I have an aversion to the comment, "Make this more accessible." Audiences are more sophisticated than that. I believe that if you lead them to the water, they'll drink it.

Can you ever just sit down and watch television without it feeling like work?

There's so much good television out there that an anxiety occurs for me. I don't know what to watch.

There's way more TV than there used to be and different ways to watch it with the networks, cable and the Amazons and Netflixes. It's absolutely changed how you approach watching it, as well as how you make it,