David Farnor | On 18, Dec 2018

Channing Dungey is joining Netflix as Vice President of Original Content, reporting to Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content.

Currently, Holland’s original series team manages a rapidly growing amount of programming, but as Netflix continues to step up its investment in new content, the streaming giant is having to expand just to keep up. In this newly created role, Channing will partner with Cindy in setting strategic direction as well as in overseeing a large and crucial portion of the slate, including some of the company’s overall deals with prolific producers, including Shonda Rhimes, Jenji Kohan, Kenya Barris, Steven DeKnight, Marti Noxon, and Higher Ground Productions.

“Channing is a creative force whose taste and talent have earned her the admiration of her peers across the industry. She’s a risk taker and ground-breaker and talent love working with her. I couldn’t be happier to welcome her to Netflix,” says Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer.

“We’re delighted to be adding Channing’s expertise, leadership and deep experience to Netflix, and I look forward to partnering with her as we continue to grow and evolve our global network. I have been a fan of her character and approach from our early days as executives,” adds Holland.

“I’m drawn to the forward-thinking, risk-taking and creative culture at Netflix, and the deeply talented people there, especially Ted and Cindy, with whom I’m excited to partner on setting the strategy for original content,” says Dungey. “Given that ABC, the place I’ve called home for nearly 15 years, represents the gold standard of traditional broadcast, it feels like the perfect next step for me to join Netflix, the unparalleled leader in streaming. I’m invigorated by the challenges ahead and the opportunity to forge new relationships, and excited for the very welcome reunion with incredible talent.”

Dungey most recently served as president of ABC Entertainment, overseeing all development, programming, marketing and scheduling operations for ABC prime time and late-night. During her tenure, she shepherded in a wide variety of successful programming, including the hit drama The Good Doctor, and the successful return of American Idol. ABC was the most social network on air under her leadership, raising platforms for series such as black-ish, How to Get Away with Murder and The Goldbergs, and helping reinvigorate long-running series such as Grey’s Anatomy.

Dungey joined the network’s drama development department in June 2009, during which time she developed and launched such hit series as Scandal, Quantico, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., American Crime and Once Upon a Time. Prior to that, she oversaw development and acquisition of drama programming for ABC Studios, where her slate included Shondaland’s Private Practice for ABC, and CBS’s long-running drama Criminal Minds, among many others.

Dungey’s successful career in entertainment has spanned both television and film. She partnered with Pamela Post, and formed Dexterity Pictures, a production partnership focused on making both studio and independent films, as well as developing television series. She also served as president of Material, a film production company with a first-look deal at Warner Bros. Prior to that, she served for five years as a Warner Bros. production executive, helping to develop and supervise a diverse range of commercially successful, critically acclaimed films.

Dungey, who graduated magna cum laude from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, has been a visiting professor at the school and serves on the school’s executive board. She is also a founding and current board member of Step Up, a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to helping girls living in under-resourced communities to fulfill their educational potential. Dungey is a Los Angeles member of BAFTA and serves on the Motion Picture Television Foundation Board of Governors.

Dungey is expected to start in February 2019.

Add to Watchlist