BBC Studios and Lionsgate have appointed Dan McDermott, the first president of television for DreamWorks, as head of their television partnership, the two companies said Tuesday.
In his newly-created role, McDermott will be responsible for overseeing the operations of Lionsgate and BBC Studios’ new partnership, a venture created to identify, co-develop and co-fund scripted formats and original intellectual property for the U.S. market, while shepherding its content initiatives.
“Dan’s business acumen and deep roots in the creative community make him the perfect candidate to lead the charge on this collaboration with our great partners at BBC Studios,” Lionsgate Television chairman Kevin Beggs said. “He is not only an experienced media executive but an incredibly talented content creator responsible for some of television’s most iconic properties. We’re excited to be working with him and can’t wait to see all the amazing content he’ll bring to our programming slate.”
“From television to film, from distributing content to writing his own, Dan has proven that he’s a skilled studio executive with a very creative spirit,” Matt Forde, BBC Studios’ managing director of international production and formats, said. “As we continue to ramp up our scripted operations with Lionsgate, we’re looking forward to having an astute leader like Dan to guide the team that will fill our content pipeline with great television series for the U.S. market.”
“I have always followed my curiosity and ambition – from the early days at Fox and DreamWorks to my years spent writing and producing content. Now, I am inspired to lead the partnership of these two great companies,” McDermott added. “BBC Studios is a treasure trove of great properties and talent, and Lionsgate is a global content platform with one of the most exciting independent television businesses in the world. The extraordinary teams of Mark Linsey and Matt Forde at BBC Studios and Kevin Beggs and Sandra Stern at Lionsgate are the perfect partners to make this happen. I can hardly wait to dive in.”
See McDermott’s bio below, courtesy of Lionsgate and BBC Studios:
McDermott began his career at the Fox Broadcasting Network where he served as Executive Vice President of Programming and oversaw such hit series as “In Living Color,” “The Simpsons,” “Married with Children” and “Beverly Hills 90210.” He then segued into DreamWorks as the first president of television for the studio where he was an integral part of the team that structured the co-venture between ABC and DreamWorks TV, and shepherded iconic shows like “Spin City” and “Freaks and Geeks.”
McDermott also previously partnered with Lorenzo di Bonaventura in launching a television company where he executive produced series like “Zero Hour,” “The Real O’Neals” and the upcoming “Jupiter’s Legacy” for Netflix. McDermott holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Television from UCLA.