Nellie Andreeva

Jeff Kwatinetz’s 2-year-old Prospect Park is raising its TV profile with the hire of former ABC drama development executive Josh Barry as partner in its TV group. Barry will develop and produce drama and comedy series, as well as unscripted television projects, reporting to Prospect Park CEO Kwatinetz. He will work with Paul Frank, son of Prospect Park partner Rich Frank, who spearheaded the TV division since its inception and will continue to serve as partner in it alongside Barry. Last summer, the company tapped Rob Carliner to run its newly launched film department. “Not only has Josh been responsible for developing some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed shows of the last decade, he has a track record complete with key network experience and a passion for cultivating writers of different genres and styles,” said Kwatinetz. Barry said he is already working on “putting together a wide slate of projects.” Prospect Park’s first series, Royal Pains, returns for a third season on USA in July, while its second show, FX’s comedy Wilfred, launches June 23. The company’s development slate includes recently announced half-hour USA boy-band comedy Big in Japan, written and executive produced by Howard Morris and co-exec produced by Kara DioGuardi. Additionally, Prospect Park has Peter Ocko’s pharmaceutical drama Eden in the works at TNT in a co-production with Lionsgate. The company also has set up another project at TNT, Snatched, from writers Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle (The Pretender), an upbeat and humorous action series that follows two former lovers who are forced to partner on harrowing missions in the world of high-risk recovery.

Barry spent 10 years at ABC and ABC Studios, most recently as SVP and head of drama development and current programming at ABC Studios until his exit last summer. He joined the studio, then Touchstone TV, in 2000 and worked on Alias and reality hit The Amazing Race. As executive director at the studio and then VP drama development at ABC, he helped develop Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy. He became SVP and head of drama for ABC Studios in June 2009 as part of the executive restructuring at ABC and its sister studio.

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