After directing at National Geographic, he landed at Fox's Cops, which he calls “storytelling in a very chaotic, fascinating atmosphere.”
It was around then that van Munster first encountered Doganieri, who ran a graphic-design company. He asked if he could use a painting for a pilot he was shooting. Although they couldn't agree on a price, they did end up having dinner at a mutual friend's party. The two became husband and wife in 2000 and co-creators of Race shortly thereafter.