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It's been long in the works. But now the executive shuffling and pinkslipping may be finally coming down this week -- as soon as Thursday? -- as Steve McPherson consolidates his power as head of ABC Entertainment Group overseeing both ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. Here's what sources are telling me: Channing Dungey is leaving ABC Studios as SVP of drama development, to head drama at ABC Entertainment. 
She'll replace Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs, who currently is EVP of drama development at ABC Entertainment and is being elevated to No 2 under Steve McPherson to oversee comedy and drama. Josh Barry, who's VP of drama at the network under Patmore, will move to ABC Studios to run drama. Kevin Plunkett, who runs comedy at the studio, probably goes to the network to run comedy and replaces Samie Falvey, SVP of comedy development for ABC Entertainment. And Barry Jossen, who was elevated to No. 2 under Mark Pedowitz at ABC Studios (replacing Julia Franz) as EVP of creative, now becomes the head of ABC Studios. I'm also told to expect layoffs in business affairs, legal, casting, publicity, etc. Of course, given Steve McPherson's unpredictable personality (some would call it bat-shit crazy), he may do all of this or none of this in the time frame I've been given. Have you seen the profanity-laced emails he sends out threatening people, followed by his emails asking the same people for a favor minutes later?
ABC Network & Studio Shakeup Coming
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I wonder if this means he’ll now actually read pilots before the week of production?
And maybe he’ll even read the action lines and not just the dialogue.
Be great if you could share some of those nutty emails, Nikki!
he worked at Witt Thomas Harris right out of college with me – he was a runner….but drove a Porsche – I guess it helped drop scripts off quicker. He had a nasty temper and was VERY cocky – nothing has changed….
One could wonder how Stephen McPherson keeps his job. I believe that he is just hours away from being stabbed in the back by Robert Iger. If he were to put this much energy into making a good product on the screen and promoting it as he does plotting the next consolidation, ABC would be “NUMBER ONE” right now.
All I can say is “In the Motherhood” Hardy har har!
can we see any of those emails? please please?
maybe ABC will stop relying on lost and g.anatomy now.
He was a piece of work at Witt Thomas, I remember that.
Amazing, how things never change…..
Good job, Steve. Keep kicking ass.
In all the years I worked at ABC I never once received an email from Steve filled with profanities. He is one of the best people I’ve ever worked with or for.
Most people are intimidated by him, because he literally is more creative and intelligent than most other people in the room.
Why would you consolidate the network and studio and still have parallel ranks of executives at each entity? Seems to defeat the purpose and keep the ranks cluttered with duplicative script readers and meddlers.
I’ve always been a big fan of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic!
Switching chairs on the Titanic much? ABC is listing horribly – watch as they slide off the precipice while underdog NBC shoots past them in the ratings this coming season. Mark my words…
You probably won’t print this because some people here clearly have it out for him, but the reality is that Steve McPherson is a stand-up guy with great taste who personally developed some of the biggest shows on tv, including those on other networks. As for a temper, even if he does have one, so what — at least he’s honest, which as we all know is more than can be said for almost every other exec out there. Plus, who else in this gutless two-faced town would publicly stand up for a friend like he did after that embarassing mess at NBC? I wish Steve McPherson all the best and clearly, so do senior execs at Disney.
I’m ok with this, there certainly needs to be some change over there.. Any chance that Brian Frons will be ousted from his throne at ABC Daytime? That man has trashed the network’s daytime drama lineup so badly over the past five years and ratings have slid so bad, I can’t imagine how he still has a job. I could see how he could say “we need to add more guns and explosions” five years ago but it’s clearly failed… don’t lesser failures result in getting fired? It’s really ridiculous!
Nikki, you can just tease us with “have you seen these emails…” Give ‘em up! Hide the names, but give us the goods!
Steve can shuffle people as much as he wants, as long as he keeps running his network this way — i.e. with his underlings terrified of him, throwing out pilots that have been worked on for months leaving pilots that get thrown together in days “for Steve,” — it’s just a matter of time before he’s shuffled out as well.
Steve was a runner at Witt-Thomas and then he worked for me in development (he never drove a Porsche, btw). In 1998 he replaced me as EVP at Touchstone/Walt Disney TV and has been there ever since. He is a smart guy who has managed to thrive in a difficult environment. Is he a hard ass? Yes. Does he swear like a Marine Corps drill instructor? Yes, as do I. So, what is you point Nikki? That high level entertainment execs swear and rip their employees when shit goes bad? Wow, there’s a revelation. I’m not sure what everyone here is bitching about, but no one posting on this board would last five minutes in that Burbank snake pit, never mind the 11 years that Steve has.
Profanity in Hollywood?!? Shock! Horros! Never HEARD of such a thing!!! Somewhere, somehow, Harvey Weinstein is laughing his ass off…
Glad Channing’s coming to the network. She has been a writers and creatives friend over at Touchstone, esp compared to the network overnoters. The ABC development department has suffered from a smugness it hasn’t earned, given that it hasn’t had a home run (or even a triple) since the Susan Lyne trio of Desperate, Lost, and Greys. I hope Stevo also keeps the drama current team. The best current department at any of the networks, mature and collaborative.
This is a ridiculous non-story. Shake up? Moving the same chess pieces around the same board is a shake up? If Steve really felt the need to invigorate ABC’s efforts he should make the hard choice to clean house and bring new people and new ideas into the fold. Otherwise Nikki, I might suggest you stop lending credence to stories that probably have nothing to do with what what they purport to be and everything to do with keeping ABC and SM front and center on a slow news day.
Gee, Pete, what a balls thing to do, heaping tons of suck-up praise on the President of Network and then having the “courage” to actually sign your name to it. Of course, you couldn’t possibly be angling to revive your pathetic career with ABC… I’m applauding your unselfish bravery here. What a load.
… but no one posting on this board would last five minutes in that Burbank snake pit, never mind the 11 years that Steve has.
What you don’t get Pete is that old thing called principle and integrity. We reward people for being assholes and call it strength. Whether you push a skinny in a locker or curs him out at a Monday meeting, it’s still called being an fucking douchebag and a bully.
BTW try 15 years and I didn’t have to be an asshole to do it.
so then who was the cocky p.a. at witt thomas that drove a porsche?
“Does he swear like a Marine Corps drill instructor? Yes, as do I. So, what is you [sic] point Nikki?”
Being a Navy Vet and Instructor, I can make a Marine Corps Drill Instructor cry.
Swearing like a Marine Corp drill instructor (btw, which doesn’t happen in today’s Corp) when you’re: 1) Not a DI, and; 2) In the civilian sector, just shows your ignorance and how really weak you are as a person.
Some call it a ‘right of passage’ to abuse others in their subordinate — because THEY were abused, too.
Still shows their ignorance and how really weak you are as a person.
I know it goes on all the time. I see so many weak and ignorant people in this industry however, a minority.
Last time I saw this happened I said to the offender, on a set, “Have you been in the military? Are you a Navy Drill Instructor? If you ever exhibit that conduct again – whether in my presence or not – I will show you what a Navy Vet sounds like. Then fire you.
Toodles.
I am,
The Hollywood Republican
I’ve known Josh Barry since he was Paris Barclay’s assistant. If this promotion comes to pass, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy — a class act in a business populated by cowards.
T.E. Russell
I am happy to hear Kevin Plunkett continues to rise. I’ve worked with him and he is a class act… The kind of guy who loves tv and listens to his writers and isn’t afraid to have his own opinion. I want to sign this comment “by Kevin Plunketts Mom” but I’m not. Just a fan of a good exec.
Kevin–Not sure how I’m angling to revive my “pathetic career” when I refer to my former employer as a snake pit, but even if they wanted me back that’s not possible as my company is in an exclusive overall deal at Fox. As for my “unselfish bravery” which one of us is the fucking pussy who won’t sign his full name to his post? Oh yeah, it’s you.
It’s really hard for people who just want to work to read this website when there is so much hate and venom constantly written about this person and that.
We all want information and we can’t get it. What doesn’t help is the trashing of this person and that one.
Steve is not a saint, but if you think he failed his way to the top you are kidding yourself. He is smart and works hard.
Take a moment to think about the things you write in your comment section as there are a lot of people who are actually reading your throw away statements.
“BTW try 15 years and I didn’t have to be an asshole to do it”
Congratulations, you ate shit for 15 years. Quick question: Which division of Disney did you run?
Answer: None
Except for the lucky few incompetents who got their chance to sit in a big chair for a few years and now will finally be out the door, the reality is that most of us who will get laid off, regardless of our ability, are just trying to grind out an honest living and pay our bills and live our life, but like most studio layoffs, we just aren’t cool enough or well connected enough or conniving/ruthless enough to be kept on.
The rich get richer and the poor get fucked. Welcome to Hollywood…
I doubt even Obama can change this…
Good to see Barry Jossen’s name still in the mix, a good indie guy gone corporate in the nicest way! I worked with him very briefly on My So Called Life and his eye for talent, flawless! Not the type to ignore an issue cuz it’s not his job…
Lucky ABC!
WHY ISN”T THE SAME THING HAPPENING AT NBC????? HEADS SHOULD ROLL OVER THERE, ABC is doing actually pretty well.
Pete Aronson is a one of the best executives and nicest people I’ve ever met and worked with. I mostly have venom for suits but Pete has always been above the pettiness and stupidity that permeates the business and everyone knows this.
So, you guys trying to take him down should give it up– unless you have some Kryptonite.
Go Pete!
Does anyone else think it is dispicable behavior for ABC to work all of its employees like DOGS through an entire pilot season then turn around and fire them barely a week after the upfront? I have always had a very high opinion of working at Disney, but this just makes me sick.
I observed SMcP while at ABCP and yes he was cocky. Didn’t really seem particularly bright but heard that he had great ‘instincts’ for whatever that’s worth. The people at ABCP at the time, Brandon Stoddard (class act), Amy Adelson worked very hard on his behalf, lots of wrangling, along with Carey Nixon who was very sweet. SMcP would socialize with higher ups and I was repeatedly told that one day, he’d run the network. Wow, something in Hwood that came true.
Lo…
You obviously drank the koolaid over there, no reason for the high opinion, The mouse house is more vicious than the others they just sugar coat it with hope and shiny pretty things. I ran screaming from them at the end of a pilot a few years back, I would rather work in reality, at least the bullshit is unscented there.
I am surprised they didn’t cut the production staff in half mid way…