David Semel To Direct ‘Madam Secretary’; Jeff Reiner To Helm ‘Salvation’

Sought-after pilot director David Semel is spoken for this season, as he has been tapped to helm CBS’ drama pilot Madam Secretary, starring Tea Leoni. The project, from creator/exec producer Barbara Hall and exec producer Morgan Freeman, explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State (Leoni) as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. WME-repped Semel has directed the pilots for such series as American Dreams, Heroes, No Ordinary Family, Person Of Interest and most recently TNT’s Legends and CBS’ Intelligence.

Related: Tea Leoni To Star In CBS Drama Pilot ‘Madam Secretary’

Jeffrey Reiner (Friday Night Lights) is set to direct NBC’s drama pilot Salvation, from Liz Heldens, Universal TV and David Janollari Entertainment. The family saga is set against the backdrop of a Texas mega church where faith, family and corruption are explored in equal measure. WME-repped Reiner has been in the NBCUni family for the past decade, directing and executive producing a number of projects including series Trauma, The Event and Awake. He most recently helmed the Syfy pilot 12 Monkeys.

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Tea Leoni To Play U.S. Secretary Of State In CBS Drama Pilot 'Madam Secretary'

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