ABC Studios
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Trading name | ABC Studios |
|---|---|
Type | Subsidiary Limited liability company |
| Industry | Television production |
| Predecessor | ABC Circle Films ABC Productions Walt Disney Television Touchstone Television |
| Founded | March 21, 1985 (1985-03-21) |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Parent | ABC Entertainment Group (Disney–ABC Television Group) |
| Website | abcstudios.go.com |
ABC Studios, a DBA of Touchstone Television Productions, LLC,[1][2] is the television production unit of ABC Entertainment Group, part of Disney–ABC Television Group (both ultimately owned by The Walt Disney Company). ABC Studios was established as the Touchstone Television banner in 1985 and given its current name on May 28, 2007.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Touchstone Television
1.2 ABC Television Studio
2 List of programs produced by Touchstone Television/ABC Studios
2.1 Currently produced
2.2 Future productions
2.3 Former productions
2.4 Alternative Division
2.4.1 Future
2.5 ABC Studios International
3 ABC Signature
3.1 Signature history
3.2 Signature productions
3.2.1 Current
3.2.2 Future
3.2.3 Former
4 References
5 External links
History
Touchstone Television
The Touchstone Films banner was used for TV by then-new Disney CEO Michael Eisner in the 1984–85 television season with the short lived western, Wildside.[3] Touchstone was a banner of Disney Pictures which included at the time television production. In the next season, Disney's TV production unit produced a hit in The Golden Girls using the Touchstone Films brand.[4]
On April 18, 1989, Walt Disney Television and Touchstone Television were grouped together under Garth Ancier, president of network television for Walt Disney Studios.[5] With difficulty selling in the off-network syndicated market, Disney television executives decided in late September 1990 that Hull High, then on NBC, or a potential NBC mid-season replacement, Disney Action-Adventure Hour, would be its last hour long drama. High's pilot did cost the company $4.5 million which was considered very costly.[6] In 1992, Touchstone moved into producing longer forms for TV, focusing on more adult fare with its first telefilm for CBS about Edna Buchanan, a Miami Herald crime reporter who would win a Pulitzer Prize.[7]
On August 24, 1994, with Jeffrey Katzenberg's resignation, Richard Frank became head of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications, a new group taking Touchstone and other TV units out of the Disney studios.[8]
In April 1996, due to ongoing post-Disney-CC/ABC merger realignment and the retirement of its president, Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications' divisions were reassigned to other groups, with Touchstone Television transferred to The Walt Disney Studios.[9] By March 1998, David Neuman assumed the presidency of Touchstone TV. In March 1998, Touchstone was placed under Buena Vista Television Productions, a newly formed group under chairman Lloyd Braun, along with Walt Disney Network Television.[10]
In 2000, Touchstone created two departments for comedy in September, and a department for drama in December.[11] While two of their pilots were in consideration to be picked up by ABC in April 2003, Tollin/Robbins Productions agreed to a two-year development deal with Touchstone Television, which included a two-year option, shares in profits and outside sales.[12]
ABC Television Studio
In February 2007, Touchstone Television was renamed ABC Television Studios as part of Disney's push to drop secondary brands like Buena Vista for Disney, ABC and ESPN.[3][1]
In June 2009, ABC Entertainment announced a new organization, effective immediately as ABC Entertainment Group, consolidating back office functions like business affairs, distribution and scheduling of ABC Studios and ABC Entertainment while retaining separate creative units.[13][14] In January 2010, Disney–ABC Television Group announced it was cutting 5% of its workforce.[15] In October 2012, ABC Studios formed its Signature unit to sell to outside networks.[16]
In early 2016, ABC Studios International (also referred to as ABC International Studios) was started up with the appointment of Keli Lee as managing director, international content and talent and her move to London. The unit, announced at MIPCOM in October 2016, would allow more overseas local productions, leveraging fellow Disney Media Network expertise in distribution and production expertise for local co-production, international co-productions, IP library re-version and original formats acquisition and production. This would add to Disney-ABC's international productions in Latin America, where the company has 16 years of producing local content.[17] In April 2017, the international unit greenlit its first co-production Harrow Australia series.[18] Lee signed Hoodlum Entertainment, Harrow co-production company to a first look deal by February 2018.[19] With ABC picking up the international unit's Reef Break in August 2018, ABC Studios was added as a co-producer.[20]
In August 2017, Ryan Seacrest Productions left CBS at the end of their deal to move over to ABC Studios.[21] Following up its cable/streaming unit expansion, ABC Studios launched a new Alternative Division for the full range of unscripted work from documentary to game show to social experiment shows. The former executive vice president of development and production at Ryan Seacrest Productions and Universal TV Alternative Studios' former head, Fernando Hernandez was hired by the studio to head the division around January 2018. The division was announced in October 2018 with a small slate, a production executive Gareth Provan and an in-house development group, The Originals Group. The division is tapping existing production companies with deals at ABC Studios, Ryan Seacrest Productions, Larry Wilmore’s Wilmore Films and Bob Sertner Productions, plus partnerships Hernandez has developed including with Mission Control Media, Parker Paige Media, INE Entertainment, Party Pit Productions.[22]
List of programs produced by Touchstone Television/ABC Studios
Currently produced
| Title | Year | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
The Amazing Race | 2001–present | CBS | as Touchstone Television until 2007; co-production with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Television Studios |
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 2003–present | ABC | as Touchstone Television until 2007; co-production with Jackhole Productions |
Grey's Anatomy | 2005–present | ABC | as Touchstone Television until 2007; co-production with The Mark Gordon Company and Shondaland Productions (2005–present) (season 2–present) |
Criminal Minds | 2005–present | CBS | as Touchstone Television until 2007; co-production with The Mark Gordon Company and CBS Television Studios |
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | 2013–present | ABC | co-production with Mutant Enemy Productions and Marvel Television |
Black-ish | 2014–present | ABC | co-production with Khalabo Ink Society, Principato-Young Entertainment, Cinema Gypsy Productions and Artists First |
How to Get Away with Murder | 2014–present | ABC | co-production with Nowalk Entertainment and Shondaland |
Marvel's Jessica Jones | 2015–present | Netflix | co-production with Tall Girls Productions and Marvel Television |
Speechless | 2016–present | ABC | co-production with Silver & Gold Productions, The Detective Agency and 20th Century Fox Television |
American Housewife | 2016–present | ABC | co-production with Eight Sisters, Inc., Wiener & Schwartz Productions and Kapital Entertainment |
The Good Doctor | 2017–present | ABC | co-production with 3AD Productions, EnterMedia Content, Shore Z Productions and Sony Pictures Television |
The Alec Baldwin Show | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Greengrass Productions and El Dorado Pictures |
For the People | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Davies Heavy Industries and Shondaland |
Station 19 | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Shondaland |
Single Parents | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Elizabeth Meriwether Pictures, JJ Philbin Productions and 20th Century Fox Television |
A Million Little Things | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Next Thing You Know Productions, Fee-Fi-Fo Films and Kapital Entertainment |
The Kids Are Alright | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Mr. Bigshot Fancy-Pants Productions Inc. |
The Rookie | 2018–present | ABC | co-production with Perfectman Pictures and Entertainment One Television |
Schooled | 2019–present | ABC | co-production with Sony Pictures Television and Happy Madison Productions |
Future productions
| Title | Year | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
The Fix | 2019 | ABC | co-production with Erica Messer Productions and Mandeville Television |
Grand Hotel | 2019 | ABC | co-production with UnbeliEVAble Entertainment |
Bless This Mess | 2019 | ABC | co-production with 20th Century Fox Television |
Former productions
Alternative Division
Future
| Title | Year | Network | Co-production company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Bite Ever | TBA | ABC | [22] | |
Ink & Paint | Disney+ | co-production with Sertner Productions[22] |
ABC Studios International
| Title | Year(s) | Service(s) | Co-production company(ies) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Harrow | 2018—present | ABC (AU), Alibi (UK), Hulu (US)[23] | Hoodlum Entertainment, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Queensland | [18] |
Reef Break | 2019— | ABC (US), M6 (FR) | ABC Studios | [20] |
The Gloaming | 2019— | Stan | Sweet Potato Films, 2 Jons, Mushroom Pictures | [24] |
ABC Signature
Trading name | ABC Signature |
|---|---|
Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Filmed entertainment |
| Founded | October 2012 (2012-10)[16] |
Key people | Tracy Underwood[16] |
Production output | Cable show programs[16] |
| Parent | ABC Studios (ABC Entertainment Group)[16] |
| Website | abcstudios.go.com  |
ABC Signature Studios, Inc. (alternatively Signature, or ABC Signature) is the boutique cable and streaming production subsidiary of ABC Studios.
Signature history
ABC Studios was moving to sell to outside networks. As the studios had placed the former ABC comedy Cougar Town at TBS, and Devious Maids at Lifetime, Signature was started in October 2012 to continue the trend.[16]
Signature developed Mistresses, which was included in ABC's summer schedule and renewed for another season.[16] Signature was incorporated on September 23, 2013.[25] In October 2013, the division placed its first outside project, Benched, for USA with a pilot order which finished shooting by December. Other projects were in the works with A&E, WE tv and TBS. In the works with ABC, Signature has a possible straight-to-series Stephen King story adaptation, Grand Central based on The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates.[16] Corporate sibling Freeform picked up Rated P For Parenthood for development as its first program from Signature in June 2014.[26]
In April 2015, Signature and ABC Studios agreed to a two-year, first-look with Black Label Media, started by Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill three years ago as a financing and producing company.[27] McG's Wonderland Sound & Vision signed a two-year overall production agreement with Signature, Freeform and ABC Studios in October 2015. This follows two productions from McG on Freeform/ABC Family.[28] Signature signed SMILF producer Frankie Shaw to a two-year overall deal in July 2018.[29] In March 2019, the deal was suspended.[30]
In April 2016, Freeform greenlit Marvel's Cloak & Dagger with a straight-to-series order as Marvel Television's first co-production with Signature.[31] Another co-production with Marvel Television was greenlit in August 2016, with Marvel's Runaways confirmed for the Hulu streaming service.[32] Signature put in development a live action Mighty Ducks series in January 2018 that is likely to end up being a show on BAMTech's Disney brand streaming service.[33]
Signature is teaming with John Grisham, Hulu and Michael Seitzman's Maniac Production to create Grisham Universe set of TV series. The franchise would begin with two series, The Rainmaker and Rogue Lawyer, based on Grisham's books with potential to grow to additional series.[34]
Signature productions
Current
| Title | Year | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
SMILF | 2017–present | Showtime | co-production with Showtime Networks,[35] Supahsmaht Productions, Groundswell Productions and Quantity Entertainment |
Marvel's Runaways | 2017–present | Hulu | co-production with Fake Empire Productions and Marvel Television[32] |
Grown-ish | 2018–present[36] | Freeform | co-production with Khalabo Ink Society, Principato-Young Entertainment and Cinema Gypsy Productions |
Marvel's Cloak & Dagger | 2018–present | co-production with Wandering Rocks Productions and Marvel Television[31] |
Future
| Title | Year | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Godfather of Harlem | 2019 | Epix | co-production with Significant Productions[37] |
Marvel's New Warriors | TBA | TBA | co-production with Marvel Television[38][39] |
Grand Central[16] | ABC | co-production with Upstart Entertainment | |
Shatter Me | [citation needed] | ||
Strega | A&E | co-production with Gotham Group[26] | |
Borne to be Wilde | co-production with Coquette Productions [26] | ||
Suburban Shootout | WE tv | co-production with Kapital Entertainment and Feelgood Fiction[26] | |
Corridors | TBA | [26] | |
Rated P For Parenthood | Freeform[26] | co-production with Milojo Productions | |
Little Fires Everywhere | Hulu | co-production with Hello Sunshine and Simpson Street[40] | |
Unrelated | Freeform | [41] | |
The Mighty Ducks | Disney+ | co-production with Brillstein Entertainment[42] | |
High Fidelity | 10-episode order; co-production with Midnight Radio[43] | ||
The Rainmaker | Hulu | co-production with Hulu and Maniac Productions; development stage; based on John Grisham's books[34] | |
Rogue Lawyer |
Former
| Title | Year | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Mistresses | 2013–16 | ABC[16] | co-production with Good Talk Productions, Bob Sertner Productions, Ecosse Films and Tsiporah Productions |
Benched | 2014 | USA[16] | co-production with The Mark Gordon Company |
Blood & Oil | 2015 | ABC[44] | co-production with Flame Ventures |
Confirmation | 2016 | HBO | television film; co-production with Groundswell Productions and HBO Films[45] |
Dead of Summer | 2016 | Freeform | co-production with Kitsis-Horowitz Productions[46] |
Guerrilla | 2017 | Sky Atlantic/Showtime | miniseries; co-production with Green Door Pictures, Fifty Fathoms and Stearns Castle Entertainment[47] |
All About the Washingtons | 2018 | Netflix | co-production with Simmons Lehman Productions[48] and Amblin Television[49] |
References
^ ab Fixmer, Fixmer (April 25, 2007). "Disney to Drop Buena Vista Brand Name, People Say (Update1)". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved November 28, 2012..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ "Annual Report 2018 Exhibit 21: List of Subsidiaries" (PDF). investis.com. The Walt Disney Company. p. 113. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
^ ab Andreeva, Nellie (February 9, 2007). "Touchstone TV now ABC TV Studio". The Hollywood Reporter. AP. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
^ Gendel, Morgan (January 9, 1986). "Disney Betting On New Series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
^ Haitman, Diane (March 30, 1989). "Disney TV Chief Heads Back to Mainstream". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
^ "HOUR DRAMAS: DOWN BUT NOT OUT?" (PDF). Broadcasting. p. 38. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
^ "Disney's Touchstone Unit to Produce Films for TV". Los Angeles Times. December 22, 1992. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
^ Weinraub, Bernard (August 25, 1994). "Chairman of Disney Studios Resigns". New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
^ "Roth, Iger Assume Expanded Responsibilities at the Walt Disney Company". PR Newswire. April 16, 1996. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
^ Hofmeister, Sallie (March 3, 1998). "Disney Taps Lloyd Braun to Head Up Network TV". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
^ Schneider, Michael (December 14, 2000). "Touchstone takes dramatic step". Variety. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
^ James, Meg (April 18, 2003). "Disney Lures 'Smallville' Team to Touchstone". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
^ "ABC Entertainment Group Announces Reorganization". Animation World News. June 18, 2009.
^ "ABC Unveils Reorganized Operations". Zap2It.com. June 19, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-21.
^ James, Meg (January 30, 2009). "Disney's ABC Television Group to Cut 5% of Workforce". Los Angeles Times.
^ abcdefghijk Goldberg, Lesley (December 11, 2013). "ABC Preps Stephen King Series as Boutique Division Ramps Up". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
^ Hopewell, John (October 17, 2016). "Disney's ABC Studios International Eyes Production Around the Globe". Variety. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
^ ab Holloway, Daniel (April 10, 2017). "ABC Greenlights Australian Co-Production 'Harrow'". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ Clarke, Stewart (February 23, 2018). "Ioan Gruffudd on Maturing Into Crime Series 'Harrow' and Directing Ambitions". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ ab Andreeva, Nellie (August 23, 2018). "ABC Picks Up Crime Drama Series 'Reef Break' Starring Poppy Montgomery From ABC Studios International For Summer". Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ Littleton, Cynthia (August 10, 2017). "Ryan Seacrest Productions Sets Scripted Development Deal With ABC Studios". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ abc Andreeva, Nellie (October 2, 2018). "ABC Studios Ramps Up Alternative Division, Sets Cooking Pilot At ABC & Series 'Ink & Paint' At Disney OTT Service". Deadline. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 5, 2018). "Hulu Picks Up ABC Studios International Series 'Harrow' Starring Ioan Gruffudd For U.S." Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ Frater, Patrick (June 5, 2018). "Australia's Stan, ABC Studios Launch Tasmania-Set 'Gloaming'". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ ab "ABC Signature Studios, Inc". Retrieved February 17, 2015.
^ abcdef Andreeva, Nellie (June 3, 2014). "ABC Family Buys Musical Parenting Comedy From Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos & Jamie Denbo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 12, 2016). "Black Label Media Inks First-Look TV Deal With ABC Signature & ABC Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 29, 2015). "McG Inks Overall Deal With ABC Family, ABC Studios & ABC Signature". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
^ Holloway, Daniel (July 11, 2018). "Frankie Shaw Agrees to ABC Signature Deal". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ Masters, Kim; Elise Sandberg, Bryn (March 8, 2019). "'SMILF' Canceled at Showtime Amid Probe Into Creator Frankie Shaw's Alleged Misconduct". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
^ ab Wagmeister, Elizabeth (April 7, 2016). "Freeform Greenlights Marvel Romance Superhero Series 'Cloak and Dagger' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 7, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
^ ab Andreeva, Nellie (August 17, 2016). "Hulu Orders 'Marvel's Runaways' Series From Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 21, 2018). "Disney Planning Another 'Muppets' Reboot for Its Streaming Service". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
^ ab Goldberg, Lesley (December 4, 2018). "'The Grisham Universe': Hulu Sets Innovative Two-Show Franchise". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
^ Petski, Denise (August 8, 2017). "'White Famous' & 'SMILF' Get Premiere Dates On Showtime – TCA". deadline.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
^ Nakamura, Reid (January 18, 2018). "Freeform Renews 'Black-ish' Spinoff 'Grown-ish' for Season 2". TheWrap. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ Petski, Denise (April 25, 2018). "Forest Whitaker To Topline Straight-To-Series Crime Drama At Epix". Deadline. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
^ Goldberg, Lesly (April 5, 2017). "Marvel's 'New Warriors,' With Squirrel Girl, Ordered Straight-to-Series at Freeform (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
^ Goldberg, Lesley (November 1, 2017). "Marvel's 'New Warriors' Won't Air on Freeform, Series Will Be Shopped Elsewhere (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 12, 2018). "Hulu Nabs 'Little Fires Everywhere' Limited Series Starring Reese Witherspoon & Kerry Washington". Deadline. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
^ Littleton, Cynthia (May 15, 2018). "Freeform Orders Kenya Barris Comedy 'Besties' to Series, Renews Drama 'Siren'". Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 22, 2018). "'Mighty Ducks' TV Series in the Works (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ Otterson, Joe (September 24, 2018). "Zoe Kravitz to Star in 'High Fidelity' TV Series at Disney Streaming Service". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 12, 2015). "ABC Fall Schedule 2015 — First Look". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 12, 2015). "Kerry Washington to Star as Anita Hill in HBO Movie 'Confirmation' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (February 10, 2016). "'Dead of Summer' Casts 'OUAT' Alums Elizabeth Mitchell & Elizabeth Lail". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
^ Vivarelli, Nick. "Showtime-Sky Miniseries 'Guerrilla' Adds Cast Ahead of London Shoot Start". Variety. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
^ Pedersen, Erik (July 18, 2018). "'All About The Washingtons' Trailer: Rev Run & Justine Simmons In Autobiographical Netflix Sitcom". Deadline. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 18, 2017). "Netflix Orders Comedy Series Starring Rev Run From Amblin TV & ABC Signature". Deadline. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
External links
Official website
Touchstone becomes ABC Television Studios at the Wayback Machine (archived February 19, 2007)