ABOVE PHOTO: Channing Dungey
Shadow and Act
Ben Sherwood, co-chairman, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney|ABC Television Group, announced last week that Channing Dungey has been named president, ABC Entertainment, succeeding Paul Lee.
Dungey, who was instrumental in the development and success of such hits as “Scandal,” “Criminal Minds,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Quantico,” “Army Wives” and “Once Upon A Time,” will now report directly to Sherwood. In addition, Patrick Moran, executive vice president, ABC Studios, will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, and report directly to Sherwood.
In making the announcement, Sherwood said, “Channing is a gifted leader and a proven magnet for top creative talent, with an impressive record of developing compelling, breakthrough programming that resonates with viewers.” He continued, “We thank Paul for his many accomplishments at ABC and his devotion to the ABC brand, and we wish him continued success in the future.”
Dungey added, “I’m thrilled and humbled that Ben has entrusted me with this tremendous opportunity. And I am truly grateful to Paul for being a valued mentor and friend. I’ve had the great honor of working alongside the talented team at ABC for many years and look forward to starting this exciting new chapter with them.”
Prior to this announcement, Dungey was executive vice president, Drama Development, Movies & Miniseries, ABC Entertainment Group. In this position she oversaw the development and production of all drama pilots, movies & miniseries and the launch of new series for ABC Entertainment.
Series Dungey has developed and launched include, “Scandal,” “Quantico,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “American Crime,” “Once Upon A Time,” “Secrets and Lies” and “Nashville.” Prior to that she was senior vice president, Drama Development, ABC Entertainment Group. In that role, she was responsible for the development and acquisition of drama programming for the studio. Her slate of programming included the award-winning and critically acclaimed ABC show “Private Practice,” CBS’s long-running drama “Criminal Minds,” the CW’s “Reaper” and Lifetime’s highest-rated series, “Army Wives.” She joined ABC Studios in the summer of 2004.
Dungey began her successful career in entertainment as a development assistant for Davis Entertainment at 20th Century Fox. She then became story editor at Steamroller Productions, where she worked on the development and production of such films as Under Siege and On Deadly Ground. Following that, she joined Warner Bros. as a production executive, where she helped develop and supervise a diverse range of commercially successful, critically acclaimed films, including Bridges of Madison County, Heat, The Matrix,Twister, Devil’s Advocate, City of Angels, Conspiracy Theory, Rosewood, Space Jam and Practical Magic.
In the spring of 1998, Dungey became senior vice president for the film production company Material, which was responsible for 2000’s Red Planet, as well as 2002’s remake of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. After being named president in 2001, she co-produced Queen of the Damned, Showtime, starring Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo and The Big Bounce.
Dungey, who graduated magna cum laude from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, is a founding member and current board member of Step Up, a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to helping girls from under-resourced communities fulfill their potential by empowering them to become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women. She also teaches a graduate level course in Television Development at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.
Leave a Comment