Hulu and ABC combine comedy and drama teams, ABC signature folded

UPDATED: Disney is reorganizing much of its television operations, with the Mouse House set to combine ABC and Hulu’s drama and comedy writing teams.

Simran Sethi is promoted to president of scripted programming for Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment to lead the combined teams. She will continue to report to Craig Erwich, President of Disney Television Group. Sethi was most recently named executive vice president of programming and content strategy for ABC Entertainment and Freeform in 2023 as part of an earlier restructuring of Disney TV.

Additionally, ABC Signature will no longer operate as a standalone studio and will be folded into 20th Television under the leadership of Karey Burke, president of the latter studio. Tracy Underwood, the head of ABC Signature, will leave as part of the restructuring but move on to an overall production deal at 20th TV. After Jonnie Davis’ departure, Underwood became president of ABC Signature in 2023. Previously, she was head of creative at ABC Signature.

Josh Sussman, executive vice president of business affairs and operations at ABC Signature, has been promoted to lead the joint business affairs team.

Additionally, Jordan Helman will now expand his responsibilities to include broadcast drama with the promotion to Executive Vice President of Drama for Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. He will report to Sethi. Helman is currently Hulu’s head of scripted content.

Erin Wehrenberg, ABC’s head of comedy, will depart as part of the reorganization. With her exit and Hulu’s head of comedy position currently vacant, the combined team will report to Sethi for the time being.

About 30 Disney employees will be laid off as a result of the moves, according to a person familiar with the situation. It was not immediately clear at the time of publication what percentage of the cut this cut represents. It has long been speculated that Disney would combine 20th TV and ABC Signature as part of the 21st Century Fox-Disney merger.

“We are very fortunate to have this exceptional group of leaders leading an all-star team whose shared commitment to creative risk-taking and delivering high-quality content will continue to drive our business forward,” said Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios & Business Operations, Disney General Entertainment, in a note to employees, which can be seen below.

Sethi originally joined ABC in 2019 as head of scripted development, while she also previously worked at Freeform. She comes to ABC from Netflix, where she served as creative director of international originals. She has also held executive positions at NBC, Sony Pictures Television and Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.

These are the latest moves by Disney as the media giant continues to look for ways to cut costs amid difficult economic conditions currently affecting the entire entertainment industry.

Most recently, it was reported that 300 Disney employees were laid off across multiple company departments at the end of September. Previously, 140 people were laid off at Disney Television in July, while 175 people were laid off at Pixar in May. All of this comes about a year after Disney’s announced goal of cutting 7,000 jobs following Bob Iger’s surprise return to the company in 2023.

Note from Eric Schrier, President of Disney Television Studios & Business Operations, Disney General Entertainment:

Team,

I would like to share with you some organizational changes designed to optimize our team while continuing to deliver top-notch shows.

Effective today, the ABC Signature banner will be retired and its operations will be consolidated into 20th Television.

20th Television continues to be led by Karey Burke, who has played important and strategic leadership roles across many areas of the company. Over the past three years, it has built on the studio’s unprecedented success in delivering groundbreaking hits.

Tracy Underwood will transition from her role as president of ABC Signature to a new overall production deal with Disney Television Studios. Tracy is an exceptional leader whose passion and strong relationships with creative partners have contributed greatly to our organization, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with her as a producer. I am confident that she will continue to do well.

Additionally, Josh Sussman has been promoted and will now lead our business affairs team and report to me. Josh is a thoughtful strategist who has been an integral part of Disney Television Studios since 2016.

We are very fortunate to have this exceptional group of leaders leading an all-star team whose shared commitment to creative risk-taking and delivering high-quality content will continue to drive our business forward.

Unfortunately, the combination of these features means we have to say goodbye to some of our colleagues and friends. These are extremely difficult decisions that are made with the utmost thought and consideration. I know that change is challenging and that you will all approach it with respect and compassion.

Looking ahead, I am confident that this remarkable team can advance our business. If you have any questions, please contact your HR business partner. If you need anything, I’m here for you.

With gratitude,

Eric

Note from Craig Erwich, President, Disney Television Group

Team,

Today we’re announcing some key organizational changes that will bring our linear and streaming creative teams together and create a one-stop shop for our creative partners. This is to maximize one of our special advantages, which is the ability to publish content both linearly and streaming.

Effective immediately, ABC and Hulu’s scripted content teams will be combined under the leadership of Simran Sethi, who has been named president of scripted programming, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. This promotion is in recognition of the outstanding work Simran has done leading the ABC scripted programming team. Jordan Helman will serve as EVP, Drama, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, adding broadcast drama to his portfolio. He will report to Simran.

In comedy, Erin Wehrenberg will be leaving the company. We are very grateful to Erin for her creativity and leadership in overseeing ABC comedy development and activity over the past few years and wish her all the best in her next chapter. The comedy team will report back to Simran in the meantime as we determine next steps.

Unfortunately, streamlining our creative functions means a reduction in our valued team. These are difficult decisions, and I want to acknowledge how deeply grateful I am for the contributions of our departing colleagues. A change like this is never easy, but I know our team will navigate this moment with the utmost respect and care for one another.

As we look to the future, I am very confident that your shared passion and innovation will continue to position our company as a leader in entertainment.

Thank you for everything you do every day. I am so proud to work with you.

Craig