Michael Thorn

Last updated

Michael Thorn (born 1969 or 1970) [1] is an American media executive.

Career

Thorn was a producer on Teen Wolf (2011–2017) for MTV, since its pilot. He was an executive at Lost Marbles Television, the production company behind the series. [2] [1] He was head of drama development for NBC's studio and network. [1]

Thorn joined 21st Century Fox's television studio in 2010, becoming executive vice president of program development. He oversaw This Is Us , which was broadcast on NBC to high audiences. [1]

In August 2017, Thorn replaced David Madden as president of Fox Broadcasting Company's entertainment division. [1] Two years later, in charge of Fox Entertainment which had separated from its parent after the Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, he enlisted Teen Wolf creator Jeff Davis on a contract to develop broadcast-only drama series. [2]

In 2023, Thorn told The Hollywood Reporter that his company was different to rivals who were making cuts after expanding into streaming; "Because we’re not high volume, we try to offer the best process possible that’s not bogged down by layers." [3] In March 2024, CEO Rob Wade promoted Thorn to president of Fox Television Network, overseeing unscripted series such as The Masked Singer in addition to his previous work with scripted television. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

Sony Pictures Television Inc. is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, California, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainment and a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Sony Group Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABC Signature</span> Former American television production company

ABC Signature was an American television production studio and the flagship production arm of ABC, which is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company. The studio's banner was also used by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for its distribution of the studio's shows on home video starting 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Wolf</span> American television producer (born 1946)

Richard Anthony Wolf is an American film and television producer, best known for his Law & Order franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. He is also co-creator and executive producer of the Chicago franchise, which since 2012, has included four Chicago-based dramas, and the co-creator and executive producer of the FBI franchise, which since 2018, has also become a franchise after spinning off two additional series.

The second incarnation of Touchstone Television, formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios, was an American television production company and a subsidiary of the Disney Television Studios, a subsidiary of the Disney Media Networks business segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was founded in 2014 from the merger of Fox Television Studios and Fox 21 and given its second name in mid-2020 following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The CW</span> American broadcast television network

The CW Network, LLC is an American commercial broadcast television network that is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75-percent ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the first letters of the names of its two founding co-owners CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Nexstar closed its acquisition of a controlling interest in the network on October 3, 2022, with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery each retaining a 12.5-percent ownership stake.

Disney General Entertainment Content (DGEC), formerly ABC Group, Disney–ABC Television Group and the second incarnation of Walt Disney Television, is part of Disney Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company that oversees its owned-and-operated television content, assets and sub-divisions.

Michael Darnell is an American entertainment executive. As president of Alternative Entertainment at the Fox network and subsequently president of Unscripted Television at Warner Bros., Darnell was in charge of some of the most successful and longest-running franchises in television history, including American Idol, The Bachelor franchise, The Voice, Family Guy, Futurama, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, MasterChef, Little Big Shots, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, So You Think You Can Dance, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, The Simple Life, Temptation Island, and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chernin Entertainment</span> American film and television production company

Chernin Entertainment is an American film and television production company owned by The North Road Company that is based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on February 24, 2009 by producer and former media executive Peter Chernin, who is chairman and chief executive officer of the company. Jenno Topping is the president of film and television, with David Ready as executive vice president of film and TV. Kristen Campo is executive vice president of television. Twenty-seven films have been produced by the company, most of them with 20th Century Fox.

Nina L. Diaz is an American media executive and television producer. She is the President of Content and Chief Creative Officer for Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios. She is best known for creating television shows for the MTV, VH1, and Bravo networks, including MTV Cribs, The Osbournes, Mob Wives, and The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

<i>The Masked Singer</i> (American TV series) American reality singing competition television series

The Masked Singer is an American reality singing competition television series that premiered on Fox on January 2, 2019. It is part of the Masked Singer franchise that originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer, which features celebrities singing songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the program employs panelists who guess the celebrities' identities by interpreting clues provided to them throughout each season. Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Rita Ora, and Robin Thicke appear in each episode and vote alongside an audience for their favorite singer after all performances have concluded. The first least popular is eliminated, taking off their mask to reveal their identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Corporation</span> American mass media company, successor to 21st Century Fox

Fox Corporation is an American multinational mass media company headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. Incorporated in Delaware, it was formed as the portion of 21st Century Fox that was not acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2019. The company is controlled by the Murdoch family via a family trust with 39.6% ownership share, and by Rupert Murdoch himself to the effect of almost 40%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FX Productions</span> FX Networks in-house production company

FX Productions, LLC (FXP) is an American television and in-house production company owned by FX Networks, a division of the Disney Entertainment unit of The Walt Disney Company. It was also known in copyright as Bluebush Productions from 2007 to 2017. The studio currently produces series for FX, FXX and FX on Hulu. In the past, FXP also produced series for Amazon Prime Video, Epix, Fox, and TBS, but the studio has since returned its sole focus to the FX channels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Entertainment</span> Production company

Fox Entertainment is an American entertainment company owned by Fox Corporation known for the television production and distribution. The company was formed in 2019 after The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, with offices in Midtown Manhattan and Los Angeles, California. Fox Entertainment programming is created for the Fox Broadcasting Company, MyNetworkTV, and Tubi; Fox First Run serves as the syndication arm of the former, as well as a television distribution company for Fox Television Stations. Although not as iconic as regular Fox, it's still a production arm for its entire brand.

<i>The Masked Dancer</i> (American TV series) American reality competition TV show

The Masked Dancer is an American reality competition television series that aired on Fox from December 27, 2020, to February 17, 2021. Craig Robinson hosted the show, with Ken Jeong, Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green, and Ashley Tisdale serving as panelists. Like The Masked Singer's format, celebrity contestants wear head-to-toe costumes and face masks that conceal their identities, but perform solo, with a partner, or with a crew in different dance styles. The show began as a recurring segment on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show which spoofed The Masked Singer. In pre-production since January 2020, filming was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

The 2020–21 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2020 to August 2021. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2019–20 television season.

<i>The Masked Singer</i> (American TV series) season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the American television series The Masked Singer premiered on Fox on September 23, 2020, following a sneak peek episode that aired on September 13, and concluded on December 16, 2020. The season was won by singer LeAnn Rimes as "Sun", with singer Aloe Blacc finishing second as "Mushroom", and singer Nick Carter placing third as "Crocodile".

David Madden is an American media executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf Entertainment</span> American film and television production company

Wolf Entertainment is an American television production company founded by producer Dick Wolf in 1988. Based at the Universal Studios Lot, in Universal City, California, the company is known for its television franchises Law & Order, Chicago, and FBI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlanti Productions</span> American film and television production company

Berlanti Productions is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Battaglio, Stephen (August 30, 2017). "Michael Thorn to lead Fox Broadcasting's entertainment division as David Madden heads to AMC". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Porter, Rick (August 7, 2019). "Fox Entertainment Sets Its First Overall Deal: With 'Teen Wolf' Creator". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  3. Porter, Rick (February 16, 2023). "Fox Entertainment Head on Staying Lean As Big Companies Cut: "Part of Our Sales Pitch"". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  4. Maas, Jennifer (March 27, 2024). "Fox Entertainment Ups Michael Thorn to Network President, Fernando Szew Named Head of Studios". Variety . Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie; White, Peter (March 27, 2024). "Rob Wade Restructures Fox Entertainment Operations: Michael Thorn Adds Network Unscripted, Fernando Szew To Head Studios". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 7, 2024.