Former head of CBS Studios drama development Julie McNamara has partnered with Jennie Snyder Urman and Sutton St. Productions to develop series for CBS Studios.
Under the deal, McNamara and Urman, who created and serves as showrunner on CBS’ “Matlock,” will team up to create and develop series for both broadcast and streaming. The partnership marks a reunion for McNamara and Urman after the McNamara oversaw the development and launch of Urman’s “Jane the Virgin,” which was produced by CBS Television Studios.
The partnership comes after Urman renewed the overall deal with CBS Studios under her banner, Sutton St. Productions, which she has had since 2012. In addition to “Matlock” and “Jane the Virgin,” Urman has created and produced “Charmed” and “Emily Owens, MD.”
“For over a decade, CBS Studios has been my creative home, and I couldn’t be prouder to continue to build stories with David Stapf, Bryan Seabury, Kate Adler and their exceptional teams,” Urman said in a statement. “And now reuniting and partnering with Julie McNamara, who was so instrumental in my early projects at the Studio, feels both full-circle and full of possibility.”
In addition to serving as EVP of drama development for CBS Studios, McNamara also served as EVP and head of programming for CBS All Access (now Paramount+), as well as VP of drama development for ABC. Over the course of her career, she has helped develop and launch “Blue Bloods,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “The Good Wife,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost,” among others.
“Jennie and Julie have been a beloved part of our CBS Studios family for years,” president of CBS Studio David Stapf said. “As a writer, Jennie’s voice is original, her storytelling is deeply human and her series continue to break through culture and resonate with audiences around the world. We’re equally excited to welcome Julie back into the family. Her spot-on instinct for powerful television was a driving force behind some of the most successful and culturally significant titles in the history of CBS Studios. Together, Jennie and Julie are a formidable team, and we can’t wait to see the stories they bring to life.”
McNamara joined Spotify in 2021 and served as VP and head of global podcast studios, overseeing the company’s Spotify’s in-house productions and licensed podcasts from talent including Alex Cooper, Dax Shepard, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peele and Trevor Noah.
