Imagine Television president David Nevins will succeed Bob Greenblatt at
Showtime.
According to sources familiar with the proceedings, Nevins, who resigned his
position on June 24, was selected to take over as entertainment president after
Greenblatt told Showtime CEO Matt Blank that he wanted to depart when his
contract expires next month.
Greenblatt will remain with the premium programmer through that period. It
was unclear when Nevins will begin his new gig.
Showtime, a unit of CBS Corp. that generated some $1.3 billion revenue last
year, declined to comment.
News of Nevins' departure from Imagine was first reported by Deadline.com,
while word about his links to the Showtime job came from Variety.com.
Greenblatt, who joined the premium network in July 2003, replacing Jerry
Offsay as the network's top programmer, led an unparalleled original series'
run for Showtime. Greenblatt came to the pay television outlet from TheGreenblatt Janollari Studio, where, he teamed with David Janollari on a
number of shows, notably HBO's Six Feet Under.
During his tenure, Greenblatt shepherded such notable shows as serial killer series Dexter; Weeds, starring Mary Louise Parker as a widow supporting
her family by selling marijuana; The Tudors which just completed its
four-season reign with Jonathan Rhys Myers portraying King Henry VIII; Californication, with David Duchovny
playing a talented writer with a taste for too many women; Nurse Jackie ,spotlighting Edie Falco as a pill-popping care-giver with fidelity and familial
issues; and United States of Tara,
showcasing Toni Collette as a wife/mother with multiple personalities.
By shifting Showtime's focus away from the heavy telepic reliance under Offsay, Greenblatt's rollout of these and other shows helped Showtime better challenge rival
HBO in the series space. In turn, Showtime netted additional distribution (12.4
million to 18.1 million); improved ratings (Dexter's
last season collected some 5 million watchers weekly through its varied airings
and platforms; critical acclaim; a bevy of award nominations (Dexter earned
back-to-back Emmy nods for best drama series in 2008 and 2009); wins (Collette
copped the comedy statue for Tara; and
a higher profile overall in the Hollywood community and with consumers.
In addition to The Tudors, a number of Showtime's notable scripted
series, Dexter, Weeds (Aug. 16) and Californication, are
well into their runs, entering their fifth, sixth and fourth seasons,
respectively. Nurse Jackie and Tara have been renewed for third campaigns.
The network recently launched The Real L World, a reality spinoff
from its lesbian forbear, The L World and comic craft show TheGreen Room with Paul Provenza, as well as debuting the eighth campaign of Penn
& Teller: Bullshit.
New series in the works are highlighted by upcoming dark comedyThe Big C (Aug. 16), starring Laura Linney as a woman trying to put the
best face on against the infernal disease.
Next year, Showtime has lined up Jeremy Irons as the patriarch of the
infamous Italian Renaissance family in TheBorgias, and will bow Shameless, which is based on a BBC series and stars William H. Macy
as an alcoholic heading a dysfunctional family. It also recently ordered a
fourth and final season of comedy, The Secret Diary of a Call Girl and
is developing a late-night talk show with sports columnist and former ESPNer
Stephen A. Smith.
Nevins, who has been president of Imagine Television since July 2002,
resigned his position last Thursday. He has been in charge of television
development and production for shows on both broadcast and cable networks,
which have included 24, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Lie
to Me and the upcoming Friends With Benefits on NBC.I
magine Television couldn't be reached for comment.
Before forming The Greenblatt Janollari Studio, Greenblatt was executive
vice president of primetime programming at Fox Broadcasting Co., where during
his eight years he was involved in the production and development of The
X-Files, Ally McBeal, Party of Five, Melrose Place, King
of the Hill and Beverly Hills 90210. In addition, he helped to
develop The Sopranos and Dawson's Creek.
Janollari went on to become the president of entertainment for The WB and
was hired this past January asexecutive vice president of scripted development at MTV.
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