Ralph Senensky

Directing

Ralph Senensky

Born April 30, 1923

Died November 1, 2025 · aged 102

Ralph Senensky was a prolific television director on shows such as The Waltons, Dynasty and Star Trek. He died at the age of 102.

Known For

The New Adventures of HeidiThe New Adventures of Heidi · 1978
The New Adventures of Heidi
5.01978
MovieMusicFamily
The long-familiar Heidi tale is given a contemporary (and musical) setting as the young heroine leaves her familiar Swiss mountain for the bright lights of Manhattan.
Treachery and Greed on the Planet of the ApesTreachery and Greed on the Planet of the Apes · 1980
Treachery and Greed on the Planet of the Apes
7.31980
MovieTV MovieAdventure
The fugitives Burke, Virdon and Galen try to save the life of a human blacksmith and his son, whom gorilla leader Urko has threatened with death should his horse lose another race. The trio also attempt to expose a crooked gorilla by framing him in a plot to kill Urko. [The third of five telefilms edited from episodes of the 1974 TV series; this film combines the episodes "The Horse Race" and "The Tyrant"]
A Dream for ChristmasA Dream for Christmas · 1973
A Dream for Christmas
7.31973
MovieDramaTV Movie
A Southern minister is assigned to a poor church in California where the congregation is drifting away and the church itself is scheduled for demolition.
Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness · 1958
Heart of Darkness
1958
MovieTV MovieDrama
A trading company manager travels up an African river to find a missing outpost head and discovers the depth of evil in humanity's soul.
Dan August: Once Is Never EnoughDan August: Once Is Never Enough · 1980
Dan August: Once Is Never Enough
5.71980
MovieActionCrime
Lt. Dan August is a homicide detective in his hometown of Santa Luisa, California. In this reediting of two episodes of Burt Reynolds' "Dan August" TV series, August and his partner Wilentz investigate the slayings of two winos who died after drinking poisoned whiskey and the rape and murder of a young woman.
Death CruiseDeath Cruise · 1974
Death Cruise
5.81974
MovieTV MovieMystery
Several couples are notified that they have won an ocean cruise, but they actually have been lured onto a ship so that they can be murdered.
The Family KovackThe Family Kovack · 1974
The Family Kovack
5.01974
MovieDramaTV Movie
A tightly-knit family headed by a beleaguered Chicago widow rallies behind the eldest son when he is charged with bribing a city health department inspector in this pilot for a possible series.
The Family Nobody WantedThe Family Nobody Wanted · 1975
The Family Nobody Wanted
6.41975
MovieDramaFamily
A minister and his wife take in poor and troubled children that nobody else wants and soon they find themselves with a family of a dozen kids.

Filmography

Sort
Mission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible · 1966
Mission: Impossible
7.61966
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
Mission: Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. In the first season, the team is led by Dan Briggs, played by Steven Hill; Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, takes charge for the remaining seasons. A hallmark of the series shows Briggs or Phelps receiving his instructions on a recording that then self-destructs, followed by the theme music composed by Lalo Schifrin. The series aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to March 1973, then returned to television for two seasons on ABC, from 1988 to 1990, retaining only Graves in the cast. It later inspired a popular series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise, beginning in 1996.

Director

The Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild West · 1965
The Wild Wild West
7.51965
SeriesAction & AdventureComedy
The Wild Wild West is an American television series. Developed at a time when the television western was losing ground to the spy genre, this show was conceived by its creator, Michael Garrison, as "James Bond on horseback." Set during the administration of President Ulysses Grant, the series followed Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon as they solved crimes, protected the President, and foiled the plans of megalomaniacal villains to take over all or part of the United States. The show also featured a number of fantasy elements, such as the technologically advanced devices used by the agents and their adversaries. The combination of the Victorian era time-frame and the use of Verne-esque style technology have inspired some to give the show credit for the origins of the steam punk subculture.

Director