David Janollari is heading to NBC.
Less than a year after the executive departed MTV as head of programming, Janollari has inked a three-year deal to develop scripted fare for NBC.
The pact reunites Janollari with NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt, with whom he developed Six Feet Under, Elvis and American Family and others.
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“Our goal is to make deals with the best creative producers in our business and David Janollari exemplifies this,” said Universal Television executive vice president Bela Bajaria. “Not only have I had the pleasure of working with him when he was a producer in the trenches, but he also has experience as an executive at three different networks, which gives him added insight into the complexities and ever-changing programming needs of our industry at this moment. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Universal Television family.”
As a producer, former WB Network president Janollari developed series including Friends, Supernatural and MTV’s Awkward, which has become a cornerstone of the latter’s original scripted fare. He’s a five-time Emmy nominee who earned a Golden Globe for Six Feet Under.
“The opportunity to work with Bela, Jen Salke, Bob Greenblatt and all of the creative people at Universal Television — some of whom I have known for the better part of two decades — is what I’m really looking forward to,” Janollari said. “I’m very excited about returning to producing again after nearly 10 years on the network side and hopefully supplying attention-getting new shows to all of the networks.”
With Greenblatt, the former producing partners also developed The Hughleys, One on One and Eve.
“We had a very satisfying and successful producing partnership and I know first-hand how incredible David is in the creative process,” Greenblatt said. “He’s one of the best producers I’ve ever worked with and I’m thrilled to be back in business with him at our studio. When he left MTV it became my goal to talk him back into producing again.”
Janollari exited his role at MTV in November and was replaced by Lifetime and WB Network veteran Susanne Daniels as president of programming.
