February 27, 1998
Longtime
Murphy Brown Unit Production Manager Bob Jeffords will be the recipient of the Directors Guild of America’s 1998 Frank Capra Achievement Award, DGA President Jack Shea and Awards Committee Chairperson Howard Storm announced today. The Capra Award, given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement and service to the DGA, will be presented to Jeffords at the 50
th anniversary DGA Awards on March 7, 1998.
Jeffords, whose career includes four years as Unit Production Manager and three years as First Assistant Director on the television series Spenser: For Hire, began as a Second Assistant Director on the Mel Brooks film Blazing Saddles and the television drama Streets of San Francisco in 1973. He served as a 2AD for the television pilot Manhunter in 1974 and the police drama Caribe in 1975, and has been First Assistant Director and/or Unit Production Manager on over twenty-five television shows, including Streets of San Francisco (UPM and 1AD), Most Wanted (UPM and 1AD), Logan’s Run (UPM and 1AD), Barnaby Jones (1AD), CHiPS (1AD) and Yellow Rose (1AD). Jeffords was the UPM for the movies-of-the-week When You Remember Me and Babe Ruth, and 1AD for the miniseries Centennial and Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story.
Most recently, Jeffords has been UPM for the long-running sitcom Murphy Brown since 1988, having also worked as 1AD on that show in 1988 and 1991.
Jeffords has served the Directors Guild in various capacities since 1972. He is currently an Alternate Member of the National Board, and was an Associate Member of the Board from 1983 to 1987 and 1993 to 1995. He was Chairperson of the Guild’s AD/UPM Council from 1991 to 1993, and was a member of that Council for twelve years. Among the various committees on which he has served are four DGA Negotiating Committees, the UPM Qualifications Committee, the Safety Committee and the Speakers Roster Committee.