Jonnie Davis is exiting his role as President of ABC Signature, according to Deadline.
What’s Happening:
- Davis has been President of the Disney-owned studio since July 2019.
- He said it has been a “privilege” to work on shows such as ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, FX’s Fleishman Is In Trouble and Hulu’s This Fool.
- The move, however, is not a precursor to merging ABC Signature and 20th Television and, despite a multitude of rumors, they will continue to operate as two separate divisions. The company is currently searching for a replacement for Davis.
- He has overseen the company, which makes ABC’s The Good Doctor, The Rookie and Station 19, as well as Onyx Collective’s Reasonable Doubt and UnPrisoned.
- The company is also behind Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere and Tiny Beautiful Things, ABC’s The Rookie: Feds, and Nat Geo’s A Small Light.
- Before becoming President of ABC Signature, Davis was President, Creative Affairs of 20th Century Fox Television (now 20th Television). He joined in 2008 as SVP, Comedy Development. He helped develop shows such as NBC’s This Is Us and ABC’s Modern Family, as well as its expansion into animation with Solar Opposites and Central Park.
- Prior to that he was VP, Comedy Development at Fox, having started in unscripted, with shows such as The Simple Life, Joe Millionaire and American Idol.
Internal Note From Jonnie Davis:
“Hi everyone,
I wanted to share that I have made the decision to step down from my role as president of ABC Signature. It has been a privilege to work alongside all of you to deliver some of the most acclaimed and celebrated shows, like ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, FX’s Fleishman is in Trouble and Hulu’s This Fool, to name just a few, that captivate, inspire and reflect the audiences that we so proudly serve every day. I’m forever grateful to Dana Walden and Eric Schrier for the wonderful opportunity to lead this world-class studio. And while I will, of course, miss this outstanding team, after doing this job for over 20 years, I’m looking forward to figuring out my next creative challenge.
As I begin to reflect on my time here, I can’t think about our many successes without picturing people like you, who deliver the passion and dedication that drives our business. Each of you have played a role in making my experience at ABC Signature truly memorable and I will be cheering on the entire Disney Television Studios organization as you charge forward.
With thanks and gratitude,
Jonnie”