He also graduated from the University of California San Diego after training in professional theatre directing.
[2] During much of the 1980s, Berlinger directed a number of stage productions namely Desire Under the Elms (1980), The Voice of the Turtle (1985), On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning (1986-1987) Orphans (1987), Timon of Athens (1988) and Another Antigone (1988-1989)[1] He made his television directorial debut with an episode of Working Girl starring Sandra Bullock.
He was the primary director for the entire four season run of the Jamie Lee Curtis-Richard Lewis ABC comedy Anything But Love from 1989 to 1992.
He also directed 13 episodes of NBC's Cafe Americain starring Valerie Bertinelli in the 1993-1994 television season.
[citation needed] He has directed episodes of The King of Queens, The Bernie Mac Show, Cybill, Chicago Hope, The Agency, Ed, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Kath & Kim, Rude Awakening, Veronica's Closet, The West Wing, Time of Your Life, Cold Feet, Titus, Once and Again, Empty Nest, The Golden Girls, Deadline, Watching Ellie, Hidden Hills, Dharma & Greg, Weeds, Sports Night, Sydney, Gilmore Girls, Men in Trees, Pepper Dennis, Sons & Daughters, Two and a Half Men, Rodney, Still Standing, Hellcats, Wizards of Waverly Place, Fairly Legal, Up All Night and Arrested Development.