Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
Disney Entertainment TV streamlines casting activities for Disney Branded TV, Hulu, ABC, 20th TV and
Last year’s layoffs at Disney Entertainment Television were accompanied by a consolidation of production operations into several divisions under Carol Turner. In addition to the company-wide staff reductions last week, DET’s Head of Casting Sharon Klein has streamlined her oversight with fewer direct reports and increased/new responsibilities for several of her lieutenants.
For several years now, Disney TV Studios' 20th Television and ABC Signature have been drawing industry attention with the will-they-won't-they intrigue surrounding a potential merger. There are still no plans to merge the units into one studio, but so far only their programming teams have remained independent, while the rest of the operations, including BA and production, are being consolidated.
Casting is the latest, with 20th TV Head of Casting Stephanie Levinson continuing in her role and now adding ABC Signature to her remit. The latter’s Head of Casting, Dylann Gunning, will report to her.