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The Emmy-winning producer and programmer (30 Rock, Scrubs, Will & Grace) is the former head of Lorne Michaels’ production company Broadway Video and NBC’s ex-comedy chief and one-time SNL publicist. Now JoAnn Alfano replaces Suzanne Daniels as Lifetime’s entertanment chief, but gets a lesser title than president. Daniels, whose Army Wives became the highest-rated series in Lifetime’s history, will remain a consultant. UPDATE: I’ve shortened Lifetime’s announcement:
NEW YORK — JoAnn Alfano, a driving creative force behind critically acclaimed hits such as 30 Rock, Scrubs, Will & Grace, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Homicide: Life on the Street, has been named Executive Vice President, Entertainment, Lifetime Networks, effective immediately. During her more than 20-year career as a network executive, Alfano led the drama and comedy departments at NBC. Before joining Lifetime, Alfano was executive producer of 30 Rock, as well as president of her production company, TV Tray Entertainment, which had a first look deal at NBC Universal Media Studios.
Alfano will be responsible for the programming and scheduling of Lifetime Television and Lifetime Movie Network, the two highest-rated women’s networks, as well as Lifetime Real Women.
She will be based in the company’s Los Angeles office. In making the announcement, Andrea Wong, President & CEO, Lifetime Networks, said: “As an accomplished and seasoned executive, JoAnn understands television from both the network and production perspective.
Over her career, she has compiled an extensive record of success in comedies and dramas, and forged strong relationships with top-flight talent within the creative community. JoAnn has the ideal combination of creative instincts and leadership skills to develop our next generation of series and movies.”
Alfano said: “Everything I’ve done in my career has led me to this point. I hear about programming jobs all the time and not many turn my head, but this was different. Lifetime is an amazing brand, loved by women and respected in the industry, and to be able to speak to an audience I’m deeply invested in, well, it may sound corny, but it really is the opportunity of a lifetime. I can’t wait to start developing new programming and build upon the terrific foundation that Andrea, Susanne, and their staff have created.” Prior to starting TV Tray Entertainment in June 2007, Alfano was President of Broadway Video Television, where she developed and executive produced NBC’s 30 Rock and the ABC series Sons and Daughters.
Alfano rose through the ranks at NBC, from New York-based publicist to become Senior Vice President of Drama Development, and then Senior Vice President of Comedy Development. She also was Vice President of Prime Time Series for NBC Studios. Before that, Alfano was Director of Current Comedy for NBC Entertainment. She had previously been Director, NBC Media Relations and Primetime Series.
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A very smart and seasoned executive with a very focused brand and mandate. Good luck, JoAnn, a successful Lifetime is good for everyone.
Any idea why Daniels is being replaced? Is this of her volition or is she being pushed out? Because I think she’s one of the smartest people in the business. The only time the WB — now CW — was close to what it was ever supposed to be was under her stewardship. She gave J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, Amy-Sherman Palladino, Kevin Williamson, among others, their first shows, and now those writers have devoted followings. You pointed out her success with “Army Wives”. Unlike Dawn Ostroff, (or Ben Silverman — or Jeff Zucker) she’s a network executive who knows what her audience wants to watch and gives newer writers a shot at the gold ring. More Daniels, and less Harvard MBAs, as network execs, PLEASE.
An executive was a “driving creative force”? In what world? How about “note-giving, comedy killer who was nearby while writers made the best show they could despite constant interference”?
“Writer” you are almost one hundred percent correct. Although, I have heard good things about JA, I have yet to encounter an executive that could be described as a creative force. And a “driving” one is almost laughable. They are supposed to hire good writers, known or unknown and not f-up the process with inane notes. Quite a few glorified assistants get these gigs and are lost without a name to pin something to. Once on an ABC show, we let our current exec write an episode. We were there till 3 am every night for two weeks rewriting the drafts, the table, the revisions. It was horrible. Not to impugn the great work of other, though. A Jon Langraf comes to mind.
A general question about programming if anyone wants to answer:
It seems like the same reliable suppliers produce most shows and presumably shop the same material to various networks until it finds a home–so rather than creative, aren’t executives mainly just determining which of the preordained future programs will be on their own network as opposed to someone else’s?
Jo Ann is one of the best executives in the business. She is intuitive, hardworking and does not meddle with good product. Anyone who says anything else just has a axe to grind with the process and not with her.
The only reason why she and people like her aren’t running Hollywood is because they are intelligent, honest and decent.
That’ll get you nothing in Hollywood.
Good Writer–
Fair enough. Maybe Joanne hasn’t been a hindrance, but again, in what world has any executive ever been a “driving creative force”? That’s a load, and even a good executive would have to admit that.
Can’t Take It Anymore,
Knowing what good taste Alfano has, I sincerely doubt she will bring back the lame, sappy ‘Side of Order of Life’. The title alone says it all. From what I understand, the showrunner of SOOL is having a hard time letting go of the dream so this may be behind the plea…
Congrats and Good Luck to Joann!
Jo Ann is smart and should renew Side Order of Life.
It was simply the best show Lifetime has ever aired. Sharp, irreverent, funny and sexy. The casting, the acting, the writing were all amazing. Finally Lifetime had a great show! Jo Ann check the Side Order blogs and read the many thousands of postings. All my friends were addicted to the show!
JoAnn is among the smartest and most effective executives in TV, and she has the track record to prove it. She is well-liked by writers and is not afraid to fight for what she believes. Many executives are indeed “comedy killers” — JoAnn is not one of them.
RE: Any idea why Daniels is being replaced?
Susanne Daniels is being replaced as EVP at Lifetime because she resigned. She was not pushed out. She decided that she wanted to pursue spending more time with her family. She will stay on at Lifetime as a consultant. It was all in the press release that came out when she announced her resignation back in June.
Maybe she’ll do a better job of programming than whoever has been doing it. It seems absolutely ridiculous to me that the network paid $1.3M for CBS Paramount for syndication rights to “Medium” but has continued to schedule it in the worst possible time slots, and only sporadically at that. While they continue to push their original programming, cramming “Army Wives” down viewers’ throats with multiple airings of the same episode in the same week, they continue to let “Medium” languish in such ridiculous spots as Sundays at midnight or 1AM. “Medium” is a wonderful, solid show with a built in fanbase, and Lifetime is squandering that opportunity, not to mention all that money, with their nonsensical and boneheaded programming moves. It would be much better served if they aired it earlier in the evenings and used it as a lead-in to shows like “Army Wives”. They could hardly do worse than they’re doing with it now, so why not?
While it is true that most execs are neither creative nor “driving forces” (unless you count “driving you crazy” as a force…), JoAnn Alfano is a different breed. “Will & Grace” would never have made it on the air, let alone to a second season, without JoAnn pushing the powers that be to allow something different a chance…and we all know how that worked out for NBC! And despite what anybody associated with the psychotic Lorne Michaels says, JoAnn was absolutely a creative force on “30 Rock” (rumor has it her partner came up with the title!). She is smart, funny, talented and knows how to deal with writers and actors who cry and complain while they make buckets of money to live the dream…
Thats funny I thought the same thing when I read redshoes post. No way to dis that show like that. None of my friends and I could understand why they didn’t renew that show. We were addicted and it was getting better every episode. I believe it got pretty good ratings too. Weird and obviously somehow political, but seemed like a loss for Lifetime so I wonder if anyone knows why?
I agree with Can’t Take it Anymore — `Side Order of Life’ was a thoughtful, entertaining, creative, well-crafted, often mystical, and quirky (in the best ways) series. The writer called red shoes posted a message full of uncalled for venom against `Side Order.’ (I suspect jealousy, a personal grudge, or the lashing out by a disgruntled Lifetime exec?) Anyway, `Side Order’ was a fine series that talked about a horrible disease (cancer) in very sensitive, honest, witty, and realistic ways. That kind of treatment is hardly seen on TV. `Side Order was well-reviewed and had good ratings. I assume some network politics led to the cancellation of the series. It would be wise for the new Lifetime bosses to rethink that decision Give the series another chance – reorder some `Side Order’!
My mom and sister both have had cancer and watching that show was the greatest for them. I’m a dude but the show was awesome. It really got to me. Why was it cancelled and why isn’t it rerun? It makes my family so mad. They LOVED it.
this website is great.
Weighing in on Side Order of Life.
whomever red shoes is, she obviously has her own agenda. After watching standup2cancer last night, i was blown away by how united the entertainment field is in their commitment to fight cancer….so why did Lifetime pull off a show which was wholly committed to bringing exposure to cancer…in an entertaining and extremely real manner. I’m a cancer survivor and I related to Side Order’s wit, honesty and impact. There hasn’t been a show that good on television since My So Called Life.
It would have been nice to think that Ms. Alfano was going to step up and be a person who would stand for the people who actually watch their network. Personally, the day Ms. Wong finally cowboyed up and admitted that the spectacular show BLOOD TIES was not coming back, was the day I blocked it from my tv. I refuse to watch a network that has such blatant disregard for a program as they did. They scheduled it at eleven p.m. on a Friday night, never promoted it, except during the actual show and ignored its viewers. They said that BLOOD TIES didn’t meet its viewers ‘requirements’ and we who loved the show took it for what it was, a slap in the face. Good luck, Ms. Alfano, you’ll need it.