ABC Signature head of creative affairs Tracy Underwood has been elevated to president of the Disney-owned TV studio.
Underwood, who has been at the studio since 2010, will be filling the role vacated in July by Jonnie Davis. Davis was named president of ABC Signature(then ABC Studios) in July 2019 in the wake of the 21st Century Fox-Disney merger.
Reporting to Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios and global original TV strategy for Disney Entertainment, Underwood will now oversee all creative affairs, including the studio’s development of drama, comedy and limited series, as well as the current series slate.
Senior vice president of series Sydnee Rimes will continue to lead the current series team, now reporting into Underwood. Susan Lewis, senior vice president of drama development, and Danny Feldheim, senior vice president of comedy development, will continue to report to Underwood.
Underwood’s prior role will not be backfilled.
The new appointment comes as ABC Signature has 16 current series and more than six dozen projects in various stages of development at different platforms, including Disney-owned channels and streamers. An individual close to the situation says that, while Disney TV Studios has made significant cuts and changes behind the scenes across divisions, ABC Signature and sister studio 20th Television will continue to operate as two individual units and are not merging.
“As a proven leader at ABC Signature, Tracy has been an instrumental force behind the studio’s development of award-winning and culture-piercing series for over a decade,” Schrier said. “In this new role leading the studio, Tracy will build on her excellent relationships with our creative and platform partners to grow the studio’s legacy of producing undeniable television.”
Underwood added: “I’d like to thank Dana Walden for her extraordinary leadership and Eric Schrier for entrusting me with the opportunity to step into this role. The prospect of leading the studio that I’ve called home for over 10 years is a professional dream come true. Along with the exceptional teams, we will continue to create spectacular, impactful and relevant television during one of the most transformative chapters in our industry.”
Notable recent series shepherded by Underwood include “Bad Sisters” for Apple TV+, “Fleishman Is in Trouble” for FX, “Tiny Beautiful Things” for Hulu, “A Small Light” for Nat Geo, onyx Collective’s “UnPrisoned” and “Reasonable Doubt.” Upcoming projects include Hulu’s “Death and Other Details” starring Mandy Patinkin and “Under The Bridge” starring Riley Keough, and ABC drama “High Potential” starring Kaitlin Olson.
In 2013, Underwood was appointed to establish a new division of ABC Studios targeting the cable and streaming business, which led to “Godfather of Harlem” for MGM+, Hulu series “Dollface” and “High Fidelity” and the Emmy-nominated limited series “Little Fires Everywhere.”
Previously, Underwood served for two years as vice president of drama for ABC Signature (then ABC Studios). Before that position, Underwood worked as a producer in feature films, with credits including “Source Code,” “White Oleander” and “Nearing Grace.”
