Born into an entertainment industry family, Jerry London spent part of his youth visiting his uncle on the RKO Pathé lot, developing an interest in filmmaking along the way. London began his career as an apprentice film editor on I Love Lucy under the mentorship of esteemed editor Bud Molin. Once promoted to a full-fledged editor, he continued to work for Desliu Productions, and later for 20th Century Fox on Daniel Boone. With the encouragement of producer Ed Feldman, London left his job on Daniel Boone to edit Hogan’s Heroes’ pilot episode and was promptly promoted to associate producer. In this capacity, London learned the technical and administrative side of production, which helped facilitate a smooth transition to directing.
As an episodic director, London worked on The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch, The Bob Newhart Show, and Love, American Style. It was for his ability to bring a show in on budget and on schedule that Universal Pictures asked him to direct his first movie for television, Killdozer (1974), one of the first to be developed. In total, London has directed 40 movies for television, among them The Ordeal of Bill Carney (1981), with Richard Crenna; The Scarlet and the Black (1983), with Gregory Peck, Christopher Plummer and John Gielgud; and A Promise to Carolyn (1996), with Delta Burke and Shirley Knight. He is most known for directing in its entirity the critically acclaimed five-part miniseries Shōgun (1980), starring Richard Chamberlain, Yôko Shimada and Toshiro Mifune. London subsequently directed 10 other miniseries including Chiefs (1983), with Charlton Heston; Ellis Island (1984), with Richard Burton; and Dadah Is Death (1988), with Julie Christie.
For his directorial achievements, London has won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries for Shōgun, and received Primetime Emmy nominations for Shōgun, Chiefs, and Ellis Island.