FOX INKS ALTERNATIVE COMEDY PRODUCTION DEAL WITH JONATHAN STERN AND KEITH QUINN
Stern and Quinn to Deliver First Look at Digital Comedy Series
And Provide Production and Distribution Services for
Select Projects Developed By The Lonely Island for FOX
Continuing its strategy of innovating outside the traditional TV development process, Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) has entered into a partnership with producer Jonathan Stern ("Burning Love," "Childrens Hospital") and executive and producer Keith Quinn (Paramount, LivePlanet).
Through the arrangement, FOX Multi-Platform Programming will have first-look rights to comedy projects developed by Stern and Quinn that are suitable for incubation through digital platforms, such as Hulu and Roku, with the ultimate goal of becoming full series on FOX, FX, FXX or other networks. Additionally, Stern and Quinn will provide distribution and producing services (via Stern's Abominable Pictures) for select projects that The Lonely Island develops.
"Jon and Keith have a proven track record of making outrageous digital comedy series that have graduated to successful on-air shows," said Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, Senior Vice President of Multi-Platform Programming for FOX. "Their sensibility, expertise and ingenuity are perfectly suited to FOX, as we continue pioneering in this realm."
Stern and Quinn's collaboration began when Stern pitched "Burning Love" to Quinn at Paramount - the series, executive-produced by Stern, ran for three seasons on Yahoo! and then was elevated to air on E!, where it is currently in its third season. The series marked Stern's fourth digital-to-television success, and a key project on Quinn's successful slate at Paramount Digital.
"FOX is showing impressive leadership and innovation in an increasingly complex marketplace, and that creates great opportunity," said Stern and Quinn. "We have always embraced producing for both new and traditional platforms, and are excited to develop hits for FOX by taking a talent-friendly approach to incubating new shows from our existing relationships and emerging talent, and to have the chance to work with the ingenious trio at The Lonely Island, as they develop for FOX, as well."
FOX's partnership with Stern and Quinn augments the network's live-action comedy initiative in conjunction with The Lonely Island, which is one of the network's three multi-platform development units. In 2012, FOX launched ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF, its alternative animation unit. In 2013, the network announced a strategic deal with digital studio WIGS, created by television and feature film producers Jon Avnet and Rodrigo Garcia.
About Jonathan Stern
Jonathan Stern is founder of Abominable Pictures, a creator-driven comedy production company that develops and produces content for television, web and film. He is the Emmy Award-winning executive producer of the television comedies "Childrens Hospital" (created by Rob Corddry), "NTSF:SD:SUV::" (created by Paul Scheer), "You're Whole" (created by Michael Ian Black), "Newsreaders" (also co-creator) and the upcoming "Garfunkel and Oates." In digital, Stern executive-produced Yahoo's "Burning Love," "Wainy Days," "Horrible People," the upcoming "Beef," and "Hotwives of Orlando" on Hulu. He has produced numerous feature films, including "Oxygen" (directed by Richard Shepard), "Scotland, PA," "The Vagina Monologues," "Diggers" and "The Ten."
About Keith Quinn
Keith Quinn has a 15-year track record of innovation as a studio and production company executive and producer working across digital content, television and film, with senior roles at Paramount Digital Entertainment (SVP, Creative Development & Production: "Jackass 3.5," "LXD," "Burning Love"); LivePlanet (SVP, Creative Development & Production: "Project Greenlight," "Push, Nevada," "The Runner," "Fan Club," "Race to E3," "Running the Sahara"); Agility Studios (Chief Creative Officer); Mark Burnett Productions ("The Apprentice," "Rock Star," "The Contender") and Black Lamp, Inc. ("The Explorer's Guild"). He has worked with numerous television networks and premium digital video distributors (including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Spike TV, E!,, A&E, Amazon Studios, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Xbox, MTV, VH-1, Yahoo!), and has been an advisor to established and start-up companies in entertainment financing, production and distribution, programming strategy, digital and over-the-top distribution and creative development. Quinn is on the board of Water.org (an organization co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White that is dedicated to solving the world water crisis), and has been a member of the Writers Guild of America. He holds an M.B.A. from Kellogg at Northwestern, and an A.B. from Harvard, where he was on the Board of Editors of The Harvard Lampoon.
About Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), a unit of 21st Century Fox, is home to some of the highest-rated and most acclaimed series on television, including AMERICAN IDOL, THE FOLLOWING, NEW GIRL, GLEE, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY and SLEEPY HOLLOW. The network is the only one to ever rank No. 1 in the key adult demographic for eight consecutive seasons and continues to dominate all network competition in the more targeted Adults 18-34 and Teen demographics. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week as well as late-night entertainment programming, major sports and Sunday morning news. "Like" FOX on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXTV and follow the network on Twitter @FOXTV. For additional information about FOX, please visit www.fox.com.
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