After a long relationship with 20th Century Fox TV, Peter Chernin is moving his production company’s TV division over to NBCUniversal and Universal Television with a two-year overall deal.
The deal allows Chernin Entertainment — whose TV division produces Fox comedy New Girl — to be aligned with Universal Television and its roster of writers and producers, plus the option of producing independently for cable and other streaming platforms.
“This marks the fourth time that [NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt] and I have worked together. Over that time, I can’t think of a more talented, creative and visionary executive, so I’m particularly excited to establish a studio presence at NBCU alongside his talented leadership and his industry-leading creative team,” said Chernin. “This one-of-a-kind deal provides us with the ability to develop great programing while maintaining the autonomy and flexibility we need to continue to be successful in this new era of television.”
As part of the deal, Jenno Topping has been promoted to president of both film and TV for Chernin Entertainment. A head of television development and production will be named shortly.
Along with New Girl, Chernin Entertainment has produced short-lived Fox series Ben and Kate and Touch, as well as A&E’s Breakout Kings.
