While working in the world of computer graphics, Michaels worked on such television series as Whiz Kids, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Amazing Stories, Street Hawk, Otherworld, Misfits of Science, A Year in the Life, Miami Vice, Magnum P.I., Simon & Simon, The Twilight Zone, Murder, She Wrote, The Return of Marcus Welby, Blacke's Magic, and The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, and such feature films as Weird Science, Stick, Brewster's Millions!

Michaels subsequently moved into television production, eventually producing the NBC series Midnight Caller and Reasonable Doubts.

Michaels other series included; Charlie Grace for ABC; Turks, The Guardian and Dr. Vegas for CBS; Odyssey 5; for Showtime; and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

He next served as a producer co-producer of the NBC series Reasonable Doubts, a one-hour drama starring Mark Harmon and Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin.

Michaels, along with Sean Astin, just completed a documentary, Remember the Sultana, with the help of over 930 Kickstarter contributors about the largest maritime disaster to ever happen in America.

A veteran of the TV and movie business, who produced shows such as Midnight Caller, Lois and Clark and Everybody Hates Chris, Jim Michaels joined Supernatural in Season 5.