It was an eventful first year on the job, to say the least, for Heather Olander, and year two at The CW shows no sign of letting up. Named to her current position in February 2023, Olander was intrigued by the prospect of a network undergoing a makeover.
“I had obviously heard that Nexstar had bought the network, and they were going to completely change the programming and the schedule,” Olander said. “And I love a challenge like that, so I was very up for the opportunity.”
Unscripted fare plays a much larger part on The CW’s schedule than it used to. While Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Whose Line Is It Anyway? have been on for eons, newer The CW shows include Inside the NFL, FBoy Island and Crime Nation.
Also Read: Wonder Women of Los Angeles 2024: Honoring the West’s Best
Olander is also at work on a couple of game shows based on beloved intellectual property: Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble, which are slated for a fall debut. “I’ve been watching the casting for both of those shows, and it’s wild to me how passionate people are about both of those games,” Olander said. “It’s very invigorating to know that those two brands still resonate in such a huge way.”
Hollywood’s Holy Grail
Olander knew from a young age what kind of work she might pursue as an adult. She described herself as “a huge, huge, avid TV watcher” growing up in San Diego. She started in advertising upon her arrival in Los Angeles, and had friends working as assistants in the entertainment industry. Olander saw, in her words, “a pathway”
for herself.
“There was a thing called the UTA job list, which existed 100 years ago and had all the jobs in town,” she said. “That was like the Holy Grail, and I got my hot little hands on that.”
She’s incredibly intelligent, incredibly driven and is very direct. The entire industry loves her because she doesn’t mess around.”
Brad Schwartz, The CW
Olander started at talent agency ICM and worked her way up. She spent seven years at MTV, making it to VP of original series development and current programming. Olander shifted to NBCUniversal in 2011 as senior VP of alternative development and programming at USA Network. That was a precursor to her current role, as USA began venturing into unscripted. She worked on Chrisley Knows Best and Miz & Mrs., among other reality fare.
Over time, Olander added oversight of alternative programming at Syfy and Peacock.
Then Brad Schwartz, The CW entertainment president, was looking for an unscripted chief. “First of all, every single person in town told me to hire Heather,” he said. They mentioned Olander’s standout taste, vast experience in development and production and straightforward nature.
“She’s a superstar executive in so many ways,” Schwartz said. “She’s incredibly intelligent, incredibly driven and is very direct. The entire industry loves her because she doesn’t mess around.”
Straight Shooter
Many in Hollywood are reluctant to say no to a project, and keep a producer’s hopes up, he said. Olander plays it straight.
“We’re not a giant, huge portfolio,” she said. “I know it’s hard to navigate for producers, hard to get answers, hard to get things pushed forward” at other networks.
She likens The CW, on the other hand, to a startup.
The CW president Dennis Miller said Olander took on a “daunting task” when she came on board. “She doesn’t suffer fools, she’s whip-smart, she cuts to the chase, and she’s very hands-on with producers,” he said. “She’s had an awesome first year.”
Olander takes time to mentor younger colleagues and proudly notes how many former assistants have moved on to significant entertainment posts. “I do feel like it is my responsibility as a manager, to mentor and to help guide anyone who works for me,” she said.
When she’s not working, Olander keeps busy with her family. When not chauffeuring her daughters, ages 8 and 11, to games and parties, they enjoy watching the likes of America’s Got Talent and America’s Funniest Home Videos together. “The adults have the adult dramas and the kids have their Disney stuff,” Olander said. “But the broadcast stuff is stuff where we come together and look forward to watching.”
