Nick Grad and Gina Balian have been upped to co-presidents of FX Entertainment from their previous titles as co-presidents of original programming, John Landgraf, chairman of FX Content and FX Productions and to whom the duo will report, announced today. The veterans step in following Eric Schrier’s promotion to president of Disney Television Studios & Business Operations at Disney General Entertainment last month.
In addition to holding oversight of all development and current series, Balian and Grad will lead casting, production and business affairs for FX Content and FX Productions. Reporting to Balian and Grad are Kate Lambert, EVP of development; Jonathan Frank, EVP of current series; Michael Katcher, EVP of casting; and Kelly Cline, EVP of business affairs. With the shift of title for Balian and Grad, their previous roles as presidents of original programming have been eliminated.
“Gina and Nick are two of the most talented, respected and trusted creative executives in the business, and their track record for identifying and developing acclaimed, award-winning hit shows is undeniable,” Landgraf said in a statement. “They have played an integral role in the success and growth of FX, building an outstanding team, and it gives me great comfort knowing they, with a combined 30 years of experience at FX, will continue to be anchors of creative stability, fearless risk taking and excellence for the FX brand moving forward.”
Balian said, “FX is a special place. The care, dedication and passion of how all of my colleagues do their jobs is inspiring. As for John and Nick, I couldn’t ask for two smarter, professional and kinder partners and I’m very excited about this opportunity. We’re only as good as the team around us and, fortunately for us, we have an incredible team.”
Grad added, “The beauty of FX is the desire of everyone to aspire to the highest standard of quality, and that has not changed in the 20 years I’ve been here. It starts at the top with John, and Gina is equally committed in her pursuit of excellence. We will continue to put our creative partners first and do everything we can to support their vision, which is a hallmark of the FX brand.”
Both long-time execs at the company (Grad marked his 20th year, while Balian has reached the decade mark), the two have built a combined roster of acclaimed shows like “The Americans,” “American Crime Story” and “American Horror Story,” “Archer,” “Atlanta,” “The Old Man,” “The Bear,” “Dave,” “Fargo,” “Fosse/Verdon,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Mrs. America,” “Mayans M.C.,” “Reservation Dogs,” “Snowfall,” “Under the Banner of Heaven,” “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Welcome to Wrexham.”
Upcoming projects include limited series “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” “Kindred” adapted from Octavia E. Butler’s novel, the AI crime limited series “Class of ’09,” spinoff “Justified: City Primeval” and Japanese period limited series “Shōgun.”
Grad joined FX in 2002 as VP of development, was upped to SVP in 2004 and a year later was named EVP of original programming and development. In 2013, he was promoted to his previously held role. Prior to FX, he was at Columbia TriStar from 1995-2002, where he rose to VP of comedy development.
Balian joined FX in 2012 to create a new limited series unit and in 2016 was promoted to the post of EVP of development. Before joining FX, Balian was SVP of drama development for HBO, where she oversaw development of “Game of Thrones.”
