ABC Family president Angela Shapiro has a new lieutenant to shepherd the
channel's original-programming push.
NBC veteran Linda Mancuso is joining ABC Family as senior vice president of
programming, charged with scripted series, reality shows, specials and
made-for-TV movies.
Most recently, she was chief operating officer of Peter Engel Productions/NBC
Enterprises.
With the partnership between those two production units expiring at the end
of the year, Mancuso is taking a leap to cable.
'Cable is a wonderful playground. We have so many nights to fill,' said
Mancuso, who also previously served as VP of prime time series for
NBC.
Under Shapiro, ABC Family is focusing on reality shows
and comedies and launching its first original block, on Monday nights, come
January. Mancuso has toiled in with both genres.
She's created sitcoms for NBC, including cheaper
teen comedies, and reality, like a pilot for E! Entertainment Television called
America's Houseguest.
As soon as she takes up her new post next week, Mancuso
plans to call producers and writers all over Hollywood.
'We're looking for a hit show in any
genre,' she said. 'I'll tell them: 'Come with your best projects. Don't think of
us as just a
cable network.''
