There’s a change at the top of Fox’s drama development team.
Charlie Andrews has opted to leave the broadcast network to pursue new opportunities. His lieutenant, Brooke Bowman, has been elevated to replace him as exec vp drama programming and development.
The change comes as Andrews’ contract was up and, facing a top-heavy exec ranks that includes entertainment chief Michael Thorn and CEO Charlie Collier, elected to leave to pursue an exec role elsewhere. Sources note the parting was amicable.
As for Bowman, she will report to Thorn and supervise development and production of new and returning series for the broadcast network. She has spent the past six years as senior vp drama and oversaw scripted originals including The Resident, Prodigal Son, Lethal Weapon, BH90210, Rosewoods, Scream Queens and rookies The Cleaning Lady and Monarch.
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“Brooke has been an important and trusted part of our team, playing an invaluable role in helping shape and implement our blueprint to expand and diversify Fox’s slate,” said Thorn. “Supremely creative, well-respected across town and fearless in taking big swings, she is primed to take over the reins; and I’m excited to have her alongside as we steer our drama strategy well into the future.”
Bowman joined Fox from Freeform, where she served as senior vp development and worked on series including Shadowhunters, Switched at Birth, Baby Daddy, Bunheads, Greek and Kyle XY for the former ABC Family. She joined the Disney-backed cabler in 2004. Before that, she was exec director development at Buena Vista Productions, working on the likes of Live With Regis and Kelly, The Wayne Brady Show and The Tony Danza Show. The former advertising exec also worked for Fox Searchlight.
As for Andrews, he returned to Fox in 2017 after a brief detour at Netflix. Upon his return, he was named head of drama development as part of a larger restructuring that saw Thorn move to Fox from the now Disney-owned 20th Television studio. The one-time THR Next Gen honoree who counts Dana Walden as a mentor worked on series including Star, Lethal Weapon, Sleepy Hollow and The Following. He came to Fox from NBCUniversal, where he worked on comedy and drama.
The changes come as many top TV execs have decamped broadcast for streaming. Those include the likes of Jennifer Salke, Bela Bajaria, Bob Greenblatt, Kevin Reilly and more.
