Jay Sandrich

Jay Henry Sandrich (February 24, 1932 – September 22, 2021) was an American television director who primarily worked on sitcoms. In 2020, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Early life Jay Sandrich was born in Los Angeles, the son of film director Mark Sandrich. The younger Sandrich attended the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating with a B.A. in 1953.

Career Preferring to work in television rather than feature film production (which would keep him apart from his young family), Sandrich began his television work in the mid-1950s as a second assistant director with Desilu Productions as an assistant director on I Love Lucy, December Bride, and Our Miss Brooks. As Sandrich later noted, The reason I got that job was my father had directed Lucy's first picture. She later told me she was very nervous and kept blowing her lines, and he was really lovely to her. So if my father hadn't been in the business and been the person he was, I probably never would have gotten all these chances. So a lot of it is nepotism. Keeping your job was different, but getting the jobs—that's the only reason.

James Burrows, a director mentored by Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, recalls,

The Cosby Show executive producer Tom Werner told Meisler, "Although we're really all here to service Bill Cosby's vision, the show is stronger because Jay challenges Bill and pushes him when appropriate." Sandrich was proud of the program's pioneering portrayal of an upper-class Black family and its civilized view of parent-child relations.

Film The only feature film Sandrich directed was Seems Like Old Times (1980), written by Neil Simon.

Death Sandrich died from complications of dementia at his home in Los Angeles on September 22, 2021, at age 89.