Netflix is expanding Peter Friedlander’s purview, naming him head of UCAN (that’s U.S. and Canada) scripted series.
As part of the move, Brian Wright, who oversaw the streaming service’s expansive overall deals, will exit the company. Friedlander will assume oversight of Wright’s team.
Friedlander has been with Netflix since 2011 and was most recently head of spectacle/event TV, which came as part of the reorganization under new global TV chief Bela Bajaria. Netflix had not had an executive in charge of U.S. originals since Cindy Holland left last year.
Prior to Netflix, Friedlander was an executive at Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone production company for more than eight years, serving as a producer on HBO’s “Big Love” and an executive on many of their feature films.
“Peter is an incredibly well-regarded and respected executive both inside and outside Netflix and is the perfect person to lead our strong U.S. team. He’s been both a producer and programmer and brings deep and trusted partnerships with some of the world’s most talented creators,” Bajaria said. “His track record of creative vision, innovation and partnership has resulted in some of Netflix’s boldest and most unforgettable shows, and I can’t wait to see what he does in this leadership role.”
Added Friedlander: “Since I joined Netflix, every day has been a new adventure and this might be the biggest yet. I’m thankful to Bela for the opportunity to lead the UCAN scripted series team, an incredible team full of strong creative executives who make me proud every day with their courage, knowledge and creativity. I’m especially excited to work closely with even more of our creators, who bring our members so much joy around the world with their brilliant storytelling.”
For his part, Wright had been with Netflix since 2014 and was most recently in charge of managing Netflix’s talent relationships, which include Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes and “Stranger Things” duo The Duffer Brothers.
“My past seven years at Netflix have been a dream come true. It’s not often you get the chance to make shows that the entire world embraces, like ‘Stranger Things,’” Wright said. “And leading our YA/Family and overall deals teams has been an honor. I’m grateful for the opportunity and to the creators I’ve worked with for their partnership over the years. I couldn’t be more proud of the team and everything we’ve achieved and wish them much continued success.”
Leave a Reply