Veteran TV industry executive Channing Dungey was named chairman of the Warner Bros. Television Group after tenures at ABC and Netflix in which she shepherded hit series including "Scandal."
Dungey, who at ABC in 2016 became the first African American head of a network entertainment division, will succeed veteran Warner executive Peter Roth when he steps down from the post early next year, the company announced Monday.
After an ABC career that spanned 14 years, including as a series development executive, Dungey was hired by Netflix in late 2018 as its vice president for original series. She resigned earlier this month, sparking reports that she was destined for Warner Bros.
While at ABC, Dungey was responsible for shows including "The Good Doctor," the revival of "American Idol" and the "Roseanne" reboot with Roseanne Barr — canceling the sitcom in 2018 over a racist tweet from Barr that Dungey called "repugnant."
During Dungey's tenure at Netflix she worked alongside "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes, among the prominent producers and actors lured to the streaming service with lucrative deals. Dungey oversaw projects including "Away" with Hilary Swank and Octavia Spencer's "Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam CJ Walker."
The Warner Bros. Television Group is part of parent company's WarnerMedia group that includes HBO and the recently launched HBO Max streaming service.
"This is such an electric time in our industry, and we have so much opportunity available to us between Warner Bros.' core businesses and HBO Max, I cannot wait to dive in," Dungey said in a statement.
She joins Pearlena Igbokwe, head of NBC Universal's television studios, as a rare Black executive in charge of a TV studio.
Review: Director-Writer Megan Park’s “My Old Ass”
They say tripping on psychedelic mushrooms triggers hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and nervousness. In the case of Elliott, an 18-year-old restless Canadian, they prompt a visitor.
"Dude, I'm you," says the guest, as she nonchalantly burns a 'smores on a campfire next to a very high and stunned Elliott. "Well, I'm a 39-year-old you. What's up?"
What's up, indeed: Director-writer Megan Park has crafted a wistful coming-of-age tale using this comedic device for "My Old Ass" and the results are uneven even though she nails the landing.
After the older Elliott proves who she is — they share a particular scar, childhood memories and a smaller left boob — the time-travel advice begins: Be nice to your brothers and mom, and stay away from a guy named Chad.
"Can we hug?" asks the older Elliott. They do. "This is so weird," says the younger Elliott, who then makes things even weirder when she asks for a kiss — to know what it's like kissing yourself. The older Elliott soon puts her number into the younger's phone under the name "My Old Ass." Then they keep in touch, long after the effects of the 'shrooms have gone.
Part of the movie's problem that can't be ignored is that the two Elliotts look nothing alike. Maisy Stella plays the coltish young version and a wry Aubrey Plaza the older. Both turn in fine performances but the visuals are slowly grating.
The arrival of the older Elliott coincides with her younger self counting down the days until she can flee from her small town of 300 in the Muskoka Lakes region to college in Toronto, where "my life is about to start." She's sick of life on a cranberry farm.
Park's scenes and dialogue are unrushed and honest as Elliott takes her older self's advice and tries to repair... Read More