After serving in the Navy in WWII, he completed college and moved to New York, where he developed, wrote and produced many of the early live television shows, including
Your School Reporter,
TV Baby Sitter, and
Magic Cottage. He also directed daytime series like
Search for Tomorrow,
For Better or Worse,
The Clear Horizon, and the game show
Surprise Package.
He went on to direct many popular and critically acclaimed episodic comedies such as
The Dick Van Dyke Show;
I Dream of Jeannie;
Mayberry R.F.D.;
All in the Family;
The Brady Bunch;
Sanford and Son;
The Courtship of Eddie's Father;
The Mary Tyler Moore Show;
The Odd Couple; and
The Powers That Be, as well as
Maude,
Gimme a Break!, and
Empty Nest (all three of which he produced). He received Emmy nominations for directing
Maude in 1976 and 1978.
Hal Cooper served on Western Directors Council from 1972 to 1983 and from 1987 to 1988, and was a Council Alternate in 1966 and 1992. He was also a member of the DGA Task Force on Social Responsibility and co-chaired Guild's Residuals Study Committee.