Mario Azzopardi

Director

January 1, 1950 (76 years)

Malta

Biography

Mario Philip Azzopardi (born 1950 in Malta; resident of Toronto, Canada), is a television and film director and writer. He has worked on such shows as The Outer Limits, Stargate SG-1 (including its two-hour pilot), and Stargate Atlantis. In 2008, he directed all eight episodes of the highly acclaimed and award winning HBO Canada/TMN miniseries ZOS: Zone of Separation, which he co created and produced. In 1971, while still a student at the Royal University of Malta, he directed Gaġġa, presumed t…

Filmography

8.3

Stargate SG-1

The story of Stargate SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device called the Stargate can access a network of such devices on a multitude of planets. SG-1 is an elite Air Force special operations team, one of more than two dozen teams from Earth who explore the galaxy and defend against alien threats such as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and the Ori.

8.0

Stargate Atlantis

With the Ancients' city of Atlantis discovered in the Pegasus Galaxy by Stargate Command, Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Major Sheppard lead a scientific expedition to the ancient abandoned city. Once there, the team not only find themselves unable to contact Earth, but their explorations unexpectedly reawaken the Ancients' deadly enemies, The Wraith, who hunger for this new prey. Now with the help of newfound local allies like Teyla Emmagan, the Atlantis Team sets about to uncover their new home's secrets even as their war of survival against the Wraith begins.

7.4

Highlander: The Series

Duncan MacLeod cannot die -- he is a 400-year-old immortal, who has seen his share of humanity's history. Still, he risks his life in battle against other immortals and tries to save people from harm.

7.6

Sliders

In his basement in San Francisco, boy-genius Quinn Mallory unlocks the doorway to an infinite number of Earths. During a test run, Quinn invites co-worker Wade Welles and his teacher Professor Maximillian Arturo to see his new invention. But an increase in power and an early departure leave all three, plus a washed-up soul singer named Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown, lost in a parallel world. Now they must "slide" from world to world, not only adapting to their changing surroundings, but also trying to get back to their world. Will they ever make it home?

7.7

The Outer Limits

Anthology series of composed of distinct story episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end, with occasional recurring story elements that were often tied together during season-finale clip shows.

6.2

Viper

Viper is an action-adventure TV series about a special task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California that is perpetually under siege from one crime wave after another. The weapon used by this task force is an assault vehicle that masquerades as a Dodge Viper RT/10 roadster and coupe. The series takes place in "the near future". The primary brand of vehicles driven in the show were Chrysler or subsidiary companies. The Viper Defender "star car" was designed by Chrysler Corporation engineers. The exterior design of the car was produced by Chrysler stylist Steve Ferrerio.

6.7

Kung Fu: The Legend Continues

Like his legendary namesake, Kwai Chang Caine is a warrior monk, operating a Shaolin temple in Northern California. After an evil priest, Tan, destroys the temple, Caine and his young son, Peter each believe the other has perished. The two embark on very different paths -- Caine wanders the Earth, while Peter is a cop. When fate brings the two together, they work to overcome their differing philosophies to battle Tan, and then to help the innocent and bring justice to the new Wild West -- 90s urban America.

6.6

Wiseguy

Vinnie Terranova does time in a New Jersey penitentiary to set up his undercover role as an agent for the OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) of the United States. His roots in a traditional Italian city neighborhood form the underlying dramatic base throughout the series, bringing him into conflict with his conservative mother and other family members while acting undercover as syndicate enforcer.

7.6

In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name starring Carroll O'Connor as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins as the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett and Carroll O'Connor. TGG Direct released the first season of the series to DVD on August 28, 2012.

7.4

The Flash

When a bolt of lightning crashes through a police crime lab, a mix of electrically charged substances bathes chemist Barry Allen, transforming him into the fastest man alive--The Flash.

6.3

FX: The Series

Rollie Tyler, a special effects expert, helps his detective friend solve crimes by making criminals see what they want to see. But what is real and what is illusion?

7.0

Night Heat

Night Heat was a Canadian police drama series. It starred Allan Royal as journalist Tom Kirkwood, who chronicled the nightly police beat of detectives Kevin O'Brien and Frank Giambone in an unnamed northeastern North American metropolis. The police crime drama series aired on both CTV in Canada and CBS in the United States from 1985 to 1989. Night Heat was conceived by Sonny Grosso, a former New York City Police Department detective. Grosso served as the show's executive producer along with his partner, Larry Jacobson.

6.3

True Blue

True Blue is a short-running NBC Television series set in New York City which aired on Friday evenings in 1989 and 1990. The hour-long drama follows the exploits of a squad of uniformed officers assigned to the specialized trucks of the NYPD's Emergency Services Unit.

7.3

The Littlest Hobo

The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, spanning six seasons and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985. It starred an ownerless dog. All three productions revolved around a stray German Shepherd, the titular Hobo, who wanders from town to town, helping people in need. Although the concept was perhaps similar to that of Lassie, the Littlest Hobo's destiny was to befriend those who apparently needed help. Despite the attempts of the many people whom he helped to adopt him, he appeared to prefer to be on his own, and would head off by himself at the end of each episode. Never actually named on-screen, the dog is often referred to by the name Hobo or by the names given by temporary human companions. Hobo's background is also unexplained on-screen. His origins, motivation and ultimate destination are also never explained. Although some characters appeared in more than one episode, the only constant was the Littlest Hobo himself.

7.0

Counterstrike

Counterstrike is a Canadian/French crime-fighting/espionage television series. It premiered on November 2, 1991 on CTV in Canada and on November 20, 1991 on TF1 in France. It also aired in the United States on cable channel USA Network, premiering on July 1, 1990. The series ran for three seasons, airing 66 hour-long episodes in total. Counterstrike has since aired in reruns in Canada on Showcase and TVtropolis.

5.3

Booker

Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series is a spin-off of 21 Jump Street and the second installment of the 21 Jump Street series. The character of Dennis Booker was originally a recurring character on that police drama during its third season. The theme song for the series, "Hot in the City", was performed by Billy Idol.

6.9

Jeremiah

Jeremiah is an American television series starring Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner that ran on the Showtime network from 2002 to 2004. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where most of the adult population has been wiped out by a deadly virus.

6.2

Poltergeist: The Legacy

The adventures of the members of a secret society known as the Legacy and their efforts to protect humankind from occult dangers.

5.3

M.A.N.T.I.S.

M.A.N.T.I.S. is an American science fiction television series that aired for one season on the Fox Network between August 1994 and March 1995. The original two-hour pilot was produced by Sam Raimi and developed by Sam Hamm. It stars actor Carl Lumbly. The show is unique in that it depicts an African-American superhero.

6.3

Total Recall 2070

Total Recall 2070 is a science fiction television series first broadcast in 1999 on the Canadian television channel CHCH-TV and later the same year on the American Showtime channel. It was later syndicated in the United States with some editing to remove scenes of nudity, violence and strong language. The series was inspired by the 1990 film Total Recall, based on Philip K. Dick's short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale", and by Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, with a visual style heavily influenced by the film Blade Runner, itself very loosely based on the same novel. However, other than the Rekall company and the concept of virtual vacations, the series shares no major plot points or characters with any of these works. Philip K. Dick is not credited in any way on the series main or end titles. The series was filmed in Toronto. It was a Canadian/German co-production. Only one season, consisting of 22 episodes, was produced.