20th Television Hires Jillian Longnecker, Brendan Countee in Key Exec Roles

Disney’s 20th Television has made a pair of key executive hires.

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Jillian Longnecker has been named executive vp of production at the studio, and Brendan Countee will be head of comedy development. Longnecker will take over the job previously held by long-time studio exec Nissa Diederich , who departed late last year, while Countee steps into a post previously held by Chet Dave.

Longnecker, previously senior director of production for original series at Netflix, will oversee physical production on some two dozen drama, comedy and limited series at 20th TV. She’ll report to Carol Turner, head of production for Disney Entertainment Television.

“I’ve admired the undeniable slate of television and the deep bench of talent at 20th Television for a long time, and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to join Carol and her top-notch team,” said Longnecker. “I’m incredibly proud of my former team and all that we accomplished together, and look forward to my next chapter in television with the excellent group of executives at the studio.”

Said Turner, “Jillian is a talented and innovative executive with deep experience in managing complex productions, known for her strategic and collaborative spirit, supporting showrunners and production teams to bring storytelling to life on the screen. We are thrilled to welcome her to the studio team, where our shows will undoubtedly benefit from her leadership and expertise.”

Countee comes to 20th from Showtime, where he was senior vp programming and worked on shows including The Chi, The Curse, I Love That for You and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who Is America? In his new role, reporting to executive vp development Carolyn Cassidy, he’ll spearhead comedy development strategy and work with both writers under overall deals and emerging talents.

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“This feels like an incredible homecoming of sorts, having sold my first script to 20th at the start of my career, and it’s thrilling to come to a place that values artists and their visions,” Countee said. “The opportunity to work alongside Carolyn and the exceptional team at the studio, while developing the next wave of acclaimed comedies, is the epitome of a dream job.”

Added Cassidy, “Brendan has an expansive track record in bringing smart, funny and unexpected programming from top talent to fruition, and possesses a unique eye for comedy. His extensive relationships in television coupled with his passion for hilarious storytelling make him a perfect fit to lead the comedy team at our studio.”

Longnecker spent five years at Netflix, managine production, post and visual effects on series including The Diplomat , Ginny & Georgia and The Lincoln Lawyer . Prior to that, she was president physical production for features and television at Annapurna Pictures.

Before joining Showtime, Countee worked in Hulu’s comedy department, working on series including Causal, Difficult People and The Mindy Project after it moved to the streamer from Fox. He was also a writer and performer and sold his first script to what was then 20th Century Fox Television.

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