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EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Howell, head of 20th Century Fox TV‘s animation department, is leaving the studio to pursue other opportunities. I hear her contract is up in May and is not being renewed. Howell has headed the department since 20th TV created it in 2008. The series developed on her watch include Fox’s Bob’s Burgers, the recently picked up Murder Police as well as Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory. 20th Century Fox TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman are expected to find a replacement.
Additionally, Howell ran the joint Fox/20th TV Fox Inkubation initiative focused on breaking new animation talent by evaluating potential toon series through fully-formed 2-minute shorts rather than by traditional script development. The program, also started in 2008, developed a number of projects though none got on the air. It was dissolved last year after Fox shifted its attention to the launch of a late-night animation block, bringing in former Adult Swim head Nick Weidenfeld to oversee it. Before joining 20th TV, Howell was EVP of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s production company Important Films and a former supervising producer on South Park. In other personnel changes at 20th TV’s animation department, director Evan Shames is segueing to a writing career.
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Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory were awful, but Bob’s Burgers is great and has the best voice cast on television right now.
Howell is amazing. What a loss for 20th.
Good for her!
She’s definitely better off than working for that Johnnie Davis guy…..luckily Dana Walden is *his* boss, otherwise…..
And I agree with the previous poster, BOB’S BURGERS is great. Love Kevin Kline on the show.
Professor Falken
This is a bummer – Howell is great to work with. Smart, funny, cool – great taste. I could go on and on.
Howell will do great in a place that’s more suited for cable since that’s her sensibility. Shames was a bit lackluster in the notes department from what I’ve heard. Maybe it was because he wanted to be a writer all along. Why do they need to replace Howell? There are tons of people in that department already that could do the job. Eyes on jr execs Carreras, Gish, and Rechsteiner to step up, if 20th is smart.
Jennifer Howell is one of the smartest execs in animation, ever. Good timing and I have a feeling she will end up running Matt and Trey’s new company. Upward and onward Howell!!!!!!!!!!!
This SUCKS for 20th. J Howell is the best executive I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with, and one of the only who truly gets creatives. I’ve never heard a word of bullshit from her. Totally honest, totally insightful, totally smart. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Jen is better than good, she’s amazing. Honestly, I’ve never worked with a better executive. She’s sharp as a tack, hilarious, passionate, loyal, and her instincts for talent and what works are uncanny. It’s 20ths loss but someone else’s HUGE gain. I can’t wait to see where she ends up. She should be running a network.
This is a HUGE surprise they’re letting her leave. Howell is with out a doubt the most well rounded TV exec I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Quick, smart as a whip, and an amazing sense of humor. In a world where the majority of TV development execs sit back giving marginal notes, Howell actually made projects BETTER. Can you imagine that?! An exec that is additive to the creative process?! Don’t think I know anybody that doesn’t love her. She’s destine for amazing things…her in live-action…that’s a lethal combo. Can’t wait to follow her wherever she goes.
Jen rocks. Fox loses. She will do wonderfully well wherever she goes.
Her firing has long been in the making. She was unable to parlay her experience as assistant to Trey Parker in to anything of relevance. Go figure.
Anyone who thinks this is a surprise, is insane. It was obvious shortly after she was hired that she was in over her head.
Yes she is a nice person, but contrary to what her friends are posting above, she just doesn’t have any skills or instincts that would qualify her for this kind of job. And the fact that she didn’t accomplish anything during her time at Fox is proof.
Hope Matt and Trey take her back. Probably best if she would have stuck with them.
Yikes, Mr/Mrs Reality! You obviously don’t know Howell very well. “Doesn’t have any skills or instinct,” HA! Maybe she should be more like all the other TV execs that have been developing mediocre shit for the past 5 years. Animantion is a bitch of a beast. You have to find inspired people with a REAL vision… You can’t just lean back and wait for the most recognized/unemployed TV star and expensive writer to be brought to you on a platter…which is what most comedy execs do…you know who you are, shit bags. If J. Howell was in live-action she would make chumps out of her peers. And that’s a fact. She’ll be better off someone else…
Jenn also developed Out There for IFC which is supposed to be awesome. She has great taste and people love her. Dummies at Fox.
Huh? Wha? Wow. No! Jennifer Howell is the kind of executive you pray you get to pitch to: funny (genuinely fucking funny), irreverent, engaged, nurturing, in the moment, and capable of making you feel as confident about your ideas as she is long after the pitch and the deal is done. If you bring it in the room, she will go toe to toe, pulling out of your pitch the kernel of an idea to make it up the ladder without crushing your soul and dulling your wit in the process. Way more an advocate than a task master, she makes you want to do better, be funnier, try harder. Like a sibling who gives you shit but fights for you all the way. Bob’s Burgers is pretty genius. JH is a rare breed. I think she would make fun of anyone for saying it because it sounds cliché, but she will land someplace awesome and create a place for writers known and unknown, animators, comedians, and performers to share their voice and get a shot at the big time. This woman rocks and mighty lucky is the next place where she hangs her hat. Ugh gonna miss her something fierce. Now go kick some ass and take those inappropriate book covers, and that little pink fridge (not code) with you. Much love and even more respect.
And side props to the encyclopedia of film and TV, the notes master, Evan Shames. A funny mofo in his own right.
This post has got to be a joke. I had the complete opposite experience when I pitched her my show. They passed, but that’s life.
And if her “firing” was long in the making, why the hell did they renew her in the first place?
Bitter, bitter, bitter.
See you next tuesday, pal.