UPDATED: Disney is reorganizing major parts of its television operations, with the Mouse House set to combine the ABC and Hulu scripted drama and comedy teams.
Simran Sethi will be promoted to the role of president of scripted programming of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment to run the combined teams. She will continue to report to Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group. Sethi was most recently named executive vice president of programming and content strategy for ABC Entertainment and Freeform back in 2023 in a previous Disney TV reorganization.
In addition, ABC Signature will cease to operate as a standalone studio and will be folded into 20th Television under Karey Burke, president of the latter studio. Tracy Underwood, the head of ABC Signature, will exit as part of the reorg but will transition to an overall producing deal at 20th TV. Underwood became the president of ABC Signature in 2023 following the departure of Jonnie Davis. She was previously the head of creative affairs at ABC Signature.
Josh Sussman, the executive vice president of business affairs and operations at ABC Signature, has been promoted to lead the combined business affairs team.
In addition, Jordan Helman will now add broadcast drama to his purview with the promotion to executive vice president of drama for Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. He will report to Sethi. Helman is currently Hulu’s head of scripted content.
Erin Wehrenberg, head of comedy for ABC, will depart as part of the reorg. With her exit, and Hulu’s head of comedy post currently vacant, the combined team will report to Sethi for now.
According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, approximately 30 Disney employees will be laid off as a result of the moves. It was not immediately clear at time of publishing what percentage of the division that cut makes up. It had long been speculated that Disney would combine 20th TV and ABC Signature in the wake of the 21st Century Fox-Disney merger.
“We are extremely fortunate to have this extraordinary group of executives leading an all-star team, whose collective commitment to creative risk-taking and delivering quality content will continue to drive our business into the future,” said Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios & Business Operations, Disney General Entertainment, in a note to staff that can be seen below.
Sethi originally joined ABC in 2019 as head of scripted development, while she had previously also worked at Freeform. She came to ABC from Netflix, where she was the creative director for international originals. She has also held executive roles at NBC, Sony Pictures Television, and Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.
These are the latest moves at Disney as the media giant continues to look for ways to cut costs in the challenging economic conditions currently affecting the entertainment industry as a whole.
Most recently, it was reported that 300 Disney employees across multiple corporate departments were let go in late September. Before that, 140 people were laid off at Disney Television in July while 175 people were let go from Pixar in May. All of that comes roughly a year after Disney’s announced target of the elimination of 7,000 jobs following Bob Iger’s surprise return to the company in 2023.
Note from Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios & Business Operations, Disney General Entertainment:
Team,
I’d like to share some organizational changes designed to help streamline our team while continuing to deliver the highest caliber shows.
Effective today, the ABC Signature banner will sunset and its operations will be combined into 20th Television.
20th Television will continue to be overseen by Karey Burke, who has been a vital and strategic leader across many divisions of the company. Over the past three years, she has built upon the studio’s unparalleled success in delivering groundbreaking hits.
Tracy Underwood will transition from her role as president, ABC Signature, to a new overall producing deal with Disney Television Studios. Tracy is an exceptional leader whose passion and deep relationships with creative partners has contributed greatly to our organization, and we are excited about continuing our relationship with her as a producer. I am confident she will continue to flourish.
Additionally, Josh Sussman has been promoted and will now lead our business affairs team, reporting into me. Josh is a thoughtful strategist who has been an integral part of Disney Television Studios since 2016.
We are extremely fortunate to have this extraordinary group of executives leading an all-star team, whose collective commitment to creative risk-taking and delivering quality content will continue to drive our business into the future.
Unfortunately, combining these functions means having to say goodbye to some of our colleagues and friends. These are exceedingly difficult decisions made with the utmost thought and consideration. I know change is challenging and that you all will handle it with respect and compassion.
Looking at what lies ahead, I am confident in this remarkable team’s ability to elevate our business. Please reach out to your HR business partner with any questions, and I am here for you if you need anything at all.
With gratitude,
Eric
Note from Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group
Team,
Today, we are announcing some important organizational changes that will bring our linear and streaming creative teams together and establish a one-stop shop for our creative partners. This is designed to maximize one of our distinct advantages, which is the ability to launch content on both linear and streaming.
Effective immediately, the ABC and Hulu scripted content teams will be combined under the direction of Simran Sethi, who has been elevated to president, Scripted Programming, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. This promotion is in recognition of the excellent work Simran has done as the head of the ABC scripted programming team. Jordan Helman will serve as EVP, drama, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, adding broadcast drama to his portfolio. He will report to Simran.
On the comedy side, Erin Wehrenberg will be leaving the company. We are so thankful to Erin for her creativity and leadership overseeing ABC comedy development and current over the past few years, and wish her well in her next chapter. The comedy team will report to Simran in the interim as we determine next steps.
Streamlining our creative functions regrettably means reductions to our valued team. These are painstaking decisions, and I’d like to acknowledge how profoundly grateful I am for the contributions made by our departing colleagues. This kind of change is never easy, but I know our team will navigate through this moment with the utmost respect and care for one another.
As we look toward the future, I have great confidence that your combined passion and innovation will continue to position our company as a leader in entertainment.
Thank you for everything you do each and every day. I am so proud to work alongside you.
Craig
From Variety US