EXCLUSIVE: Jane Wiseman is departing Paramount+ where she had served as EVP and Head of Originals for 14 months, Deadline has learned. Her departure follows the exit of her former boss, Paramount Chair of Direct-To-Consumer Cindy Holland, on the eve of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery almost a month ago. Wiseman’s team will now report to HBO Max’s Sarah Aubrey, I hear.
Following the merger’s official close on Oct. 6, HBO/HBO Max’s content chief Casey Bloys became the combined Skydance company’s Co-Chair and Chief Content Officer, DTC, taking oversight of the programming teams of both HBO Max and Paramount+, in addition to HBO proper.
He brought with him his core group of HBO/HBO Max executives, HBO head of drama Francesca Orsi, HBO and HBO Max head of comedy Amy Gravitt, and HBO Max head of originals Aubrey. Having the team of three seasoned senior executives he had worked with for a long time left no room for Wiseman — a respected development executive herself — on that level, I hear.
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Still, Bloys took a couple of weeks to get to know the Paramount+ content operation and team, examining various scenarios. Wiseman continuing to oversee all or parts of her portfolio, including the Taylor Sheridan/101 Studios slate, possibly reporting to Aubrey was considered, I hear, but that could’ve skewed the existing parity among Orsi, Aubrey and Gravitt, which had worked well.
During her Paramount+ tenure, Wiseman oversaw 28 new series pickups across scripted, unscripted and kids and family and 16 renewals, along with the content side of BET+’s integration into Paramount+. The first two new scripted series ordered under Wiseman, Discretion, starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, and The Best Of Us, headlined by Jeremy Strong, are in production.
Wiseman’s Paramount+ slate also included Landman, MobLand, The Madison, Dexter, Dutton Ranch and the upcoming Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone, Ascent starring Viola Davis and Fear Not starring Anne Hathaway.
UPDATE: In Bloys’ internal memo unveiling his DTC Content leadership team, he thanked Wiseman.
“Jane, in her partnership with Cindy Holland, has done amazing work at Paramount+,” he said. “The development slate is incredibly impressive, and Jane has graciously offered to help with the transition. She is an extraordinarily talented executive. I appreciate all her support and wish her all the best.”
Prior to Paramount+, Wiseman served as Head of U.S. Television at Sister under Holland, overseeing the company’s TV division with a focus on premium scripted series. Before that, she was VP and head of Comedy at Netflix, also working for Holland, where she shepherded Ozark, Narcos, Dead to Me, Russian Doll, Master of None, Never Have I Ever, Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, The Kominsky Method, and Grace and Frankie, among others.
Before Netflix, Wiseman served as SVP at Chernin Entertainment, where she worked on New Girl. She previously spent six years at NBC as SVP of Comedy, where she developed beloved hits like Parks and Rec and Community. Wiseman began her career at Fox, contributing to the development of the Emmy Award-winning Arrested Development and The Simple Life.
