Twentieth Century Fox TV has found its new drama and comedy heads.
The studio has tapped Fox 21 TV Studios veteran Brandon Brito and one-time NBC comedy executive Cheryl Dolins for the respective roles. The dual appointment follows the recent departures of Lisa Katz and Dana Honor. The pair — Brito as senior vp, drama development, Dolins as senior vp, comedy development — will report to 20th TV’s executive vp, development Michael Thorn.
“Brandon and Cheryl both have backgrounds not just as developers, but as producers as well, which makes them the ideal executives to lead our drama and comedy teams in this highly competitive environment,” Thorn said Friday in a statement announcing the news. The timing allows the executives to dive in just as the studio sets out to begin another broadcast development season.
Brito joined what was then simply Fox 21 in late 2012 as vp, scripted, where he was charged with developing drama and comedy fare for cable. He was instrumental in such projects as FX’s Tyrant and WGN’s Salem and already has a shorthand with those at sibling 20th as well as many of its top producers. There are no plans to replace Brito at Fox 21 for now. Prior to his time at the Bert Salke-run studio, the Miami native and Florida International University grad did a stint at Television 360, the TV department and production arm of Management 360. There, he served as a producer and co-head of the department. Brito also previously served as vp, development at Tribeca Productions, where he oversaw feature and TV development.
As for Dolins, she and Thorn previously worked together at NBC, where she led the development of such comedies as 30 Rock, The Office and My Name Is Earl as senior vp, comedy development. In the years since, she served as a senior vp at Alloy Entertainment, where she ran development and current programming for the company’s TV department, overseeing all stages of production for Freeform hit Pretty Little Liars. The Duke alum also spent time running Anthony Edwards’ Grand Central Entertainment and, early in her career, at Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet Productions.
