Disney Entertainment TV Promotes Carol Turner to Head of Production

The former ABC Signature executive will oversee physical production across the company’s studios and platforms

Carol Turner (Disney Entertainment Television/Frank Micelotta)

Disney Entertainment Television has formally promoted Carol Turner to the division’s head of production.

Turner, who most recently served as executive vice president of production and post-production for ABC Signature, assumed the new role last spring as part of a consolidation of production operations across Disney TV Studios, Hulu, Freeform and FX.

Under the expanded and formalized role, she will oversee physical production and backlot functions for the company’s studios and platforms including 20th Television, ABC Signature, ABC Entertainment, FX Productions, Disney+, Hulu, Freeform and Onyx Collective, with purview of more than 100 current series and pilots, including ABC’s “9-1-1,” Grey’s Anatomy, and “High Potential,” Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” and upcoming series such as FX’s “American Sports Story” and CBS’ “Tracker.”

Turner will report to Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios and Global Original Television Strategy.

“Carol is a proven leader with the unique ability to deftly navigate production challenges and support the creative vision of our creators,” Schrier said in a statement.“Just a few months into her new role, she has already made a major impact in how we manage our productions across Disney Entertainment Television.”

Before joining ABC Signature in 2020, Turner served as Skydance’s EVP of physical production. She also previously served as Netflix International Originals’ first director of production and a senior vice president and vice president of production at BBC Worldwide Productions, overseeing scripted and unscripted series. Turner has worked in production since 1995 in TV, film, unscripted and scripted content, working her way up from production assistant to line producer before transitioning to the corporate side in 2011.

“Working with Eric and the truly inspired leaders at Disney Entertainment Television during such a transformational time in the television business has been tremendously gratifying,” Turner said in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead production across the organization as we enter our next chapter, where our exceptionally innovative team will continue to support storytellers, helping them realize their visions on screen.” 

ABC Signature’s John Ziffren will take over Turner’s previous role and report directly to her. Nick Lombardo, executive vice president of Production for FX Productions, and the yet-to-be-named replacement for former 20th Television production EVP Nissa Diederich will also report to Turner. 

Ziffren joined the division in 2015 after developing pilots and series at 20th Century Fox TV and an eight-year stint at ABC Family. In addition to his career as a production executive, Ziffren served as an independent producer. Collectively, he has been involved with the production for more than 1,500 episodes of television. He started his career at Spelling/Goldberg Productions before joining Brillstein-Grey and serving as a producer for “The Larry Sanders Show.”

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