KEVIN PLUNKETT AND KIM ROZENFELD JOIN ABC ENTERTAINMENT AS HEADS OF CURRENT COMEDY AND CURRENT DRAMA, RESPECTIVELY
Kevin Plunkett has joined the ABC Television Network as vice president, Current Comedy, ABC Entertainment, and Kim Rozenfeld has joined as senior vice president, Current Drama, it was announced today by Francie Calfo, executive vice president, Development & Current, ABC Entertainment, to whom they both report.
In their new positions, Mr. Plunkett and Mr. Rozenfeld will be responsible for managing the network's slate of established series, and will supervise a staff of current executives who serve as creative liaisons between their shows and the network.
"Both Kevin and Kim bring something unique to the network," Ms. Calfo said in making the announcement. "Kim has been an executive at the network and studio level, and he's also been a producer and director. He has a very diverse skill set, and has walked in the shoes of his studio counterparts and the producers with whom he'll work -- making him an ideal partner for them. Kevin has worked extensively in comedy, and I was impressed with the reputation he has among the networks, studios and writer/producers with whom he's worked. Comedy needs somebody at its helm with his passion and instinct. We're thrilled to have these talented executives in these important positions."
Since 2002 Mr. Plunkett has been executive director, Comedy Development for Paramount Network Television. In this position he developed half-hour comedies for the six broadcast networks. His most recent projects include the highly anticipated Fall series, "Everyone Hates Chris," for UPN, "Out of Practice" for CBS (starring Henry Winkler and Stockard Channing), and "Love, Inc.," also for UPN. Past projects Mr. Plunkett developed include "Cuts" for UPN, "A Minute with Stan Hooper" and "Life on a Stick" for Fox, and "Its All Relative" for ABC.
Prior to Paramount, Mr. Plunkett spent three years as executive director, Programming and Development for ABC Family / Fox Family Channel. In that position he oversaw the creation and production of primetime series, developing, among other projects, the critically acclaimed "State of Grace," which TVGuide.com called "the best half-hour currently on television" in the summer of 2001.
Mr. Plunkett joined Fox Family from Disney Channel, where he spent three years in the Programming department, rising to the position of manager, Original Programming. While at Disney he had a hand in developing "So Weird," "The Famous Jett Jackson," "The Jersey," "Even Stevens" and "Z Games."
Before Disney he was in the New York offices of FX Networks in the Talent and Production departments. He began his career as an intern in the Programming departments of VH1 and Nickelodeon in New York.
Mr. Plunkett graduated from Duke University with a degree in History. He and his wife, Jennifer, have one son and a daughter on the way.
Kim Rozenfeld has an extensive and well-rounded background in television that has afforded him the opportunity to produce, direct and develop in various genres for both broadcast and cable television.
Most recently Mr. Rozenfeld was vice president of Series Development and Programming for VH1. Involved in the re-branding of the cable network, he also engineered and managed the channel's development think tank, The Launch Pad, from which came the popular series "Motormouth" and the highly anticipated comedy/reality hybrid, "Home James," both of which he executive-produced. In addition he developed and executive-produced such acclaimed series as "Military Diaries," "Rock the House," "Kept" (featuring supermodel Jerry Hall), "Breaking Bonaduce" (featuring Danny Bonaduce) and the award-winning "Bands Reunited."
Aside from having been a producer and director on the ABC comedy "Two Guys and a Girl," Mr. Rozenfeld has also produced the comedies "Baby Talk" and "Dinosaurs," both for ABC, and the highly acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning non-fiction Fox series, "American High."
As an ndependent producer, Mr. Rozenfeld established his own production company, Half Full Entertainment (in association with 20th Century Fox Television), and developed a series of comedy projects under this banner. It was during this time that he produced and directed "Two Guys and a Girl" and also produced "American High." Previously he served as vice president of Comedy Programs for ABC, developing and supervising such shows as "Dharma and Greg," "Sports Night," "The Hughleys" and "The Secret Lives of Men."
Prior to his ABC tenure, he was director of Series Development for Columbia TriStar Television, involved in the development of such shows as "Early Edition," "The Gregory Hines Show" and "Malcolm and Eddie."
Mr. Rozenfeld graduated from UCLA with a degree in Communication Studies.
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