Tracy Underwood is doubling her oversight.
The ABC Signature senior vp has been promoted to a newly created position of exec vp creative affairs at ABC Studios. In her new role, Underwood will continue to oversee development at cable-focused Signature while also adding oversight of scripted development at ABC Studios. She will report to ABC Studios president Jonnie Davis, the former 20th TV topper who took over the position last year from Patrick Moran.
In her new role, which is effective immediately, rising star Underwood will oversee comedy and drama development at ABC Studios, with all of the development teams reporting to her. She will continue to have oversight of cable- and streaming-focused Signature's comedies and dramas for all platforms, and also be charged with identifying writers to shepherding ideas from pitch to production.
“When I started at ABC Studios, I knew I needed a key senior executive overseeing the development of all of our projects, and almost immediately Tracy emerged as the perfect person for the job,” Davis said. “She really is a creative force in this company, with exceptional taste in material, deep relationships with writers and a keen eye for compelling IP. She has been responsible for some of our most noteworthy recent projects, from Godfather of Harlem and Dollface to the eagerly anticipated Little Fires Everywhere and High Fidelity. This new position gives her even more territory to cover as we establish ABC Studios as a premiere destination for great talent to come and do their best work.”
Underwood was tasked in 2013 with leading the then-new Signature division into the cable and streaming space and has delivered series including Epix's Forest Whitaker drama Godfather of Harlem, Hulu's recently renewed Kat Dennings entry Dollface, Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington's Little Fires Everywhere and its upcoming take on High Fidelity, the latter of which was originally developed for Disney+.
“It’s a remarkable time to be in the content business with so many extraordinary creators and producers we’re lucky enough to have in our family," Underwood said. "I’m grateful to Jonnie, Dana [Walden] and Craig [Hunegs] for this vote of confidence and thrilled and honored to be working more closely with my colleagues as we expand our portfolio within the Disney ecosystem and beyond.”
The promotion marks a return to ABC Studios for Underwood, who previously served as vp drama at the Disney-backed outlet, for which she worked on Missing and The River.
