2 weeks ago
Another bequest Paramount TV executive is leaving successful nan aftermath of nan Skydance merger. Company seasoned Keith Cox, who has served arsenic apical programming executive for aggregate brands, including TV Land, Paramount Network and Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, is departing aft 2 decades. His past time is Friday.
Cox’s early plans person not been revealed but I perceive he is negotiations to subordinate his erstwhile boss, Chris McCarthy, astatine NBCUniversal wherever nan erstwhile Former Paramount co-CEO has group up a deal. It is portion of McCarthy reassembling a squad of cardinal auspices, which includes David Glasser and his 101 Studios, who moved to NBCU astatine nan commencement of nan year, MobLand EP Jez Butterworth, who precocious signed a five-tear pact pinch Universal Entertainment, and Taylor Sheridan who is making nan modulation astatine nan commencement of 2029.
At Paramount, Cox astir precocious was astatine nan recently relaunched Paramount Television Studios whose President Matt Thunell announced his departure successful an soul memo. In nan institution email, which you tin publication below, and successful Cox’s ain farewell connection to staff, nan 2 recount immoderate of Cox’s biggest accomplishments during his 20-year tenure.
Originally hired successful 2006 arsenic EVP Development and Original Programming for TV Land, Cox turned nan cablegram web from a graveyard for aged sitcoms to a morganatic original drama subordinate pinch nan deed multi-cam sitcom Hot In Cleveland, which ran for 128 episodes. He past changed things up, bringing Darren Star into nan fold for TV Land’s first single-camera series, romcom Younger, which ran for 7 seasons, helped reinvigorate Star’s profession and, years aft its finale recovered caller audiences connected Netflix. The duo’s shorthand led to Star making his followup bid pinch Cox astatine MTV Entertainment Studios, first for Paramount Network earlier it moved to Netflix wherever it became 1 of nan streamer’s signature comedies.
In his adjacent gig arsenic caput of programing for past newly-rebranded Paramount Network, Cox greenlighted Yellowstone from Sheridan and Glasser’s 101 aft galore different networks had passed connected nan neo-Western. That started a narration that has yielded a slew of large hits, from Yellowstone and prequels 1883 and 1923 to Tulsa King, Landman, Marshals and nan upcoming Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch.
Cox besides was instrumental successful getting Butterworth into nan fold, resulting successful bid MobLand and The Agency, some pinch 101 Studios.
After Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, wherever Cox was President, was folded into nan caller Paramount TV Studios pursuing nan August 2025 Skydance merger, he stayed connected and continued to oversee nan bid nether his purview, including nan Taylor Sheridan slate and Emily In Paris.
Following Cox’s departure, his nonstop reports, VP, Paramount Television Studios, Antonia Covault, and VP, Paramount Television Studios, Todd Baynes, will modulation to nan studio’s existent team, reporting into EVP, Head of Current, Carolyn Harris.
Here are nan soul memos.
From Matt Thunell:
Team,
I’m reaching retired to stock immoderate news pinch you regarding our awesome workfellow Keith Cox. Keith has made nan determination to move connected from his domiciled pinch nan workplace aft 20 years of invaluable contributions.
Over his agelong tenure, Keith helped oversee countless successful and culturally impactful bid crossed nan Paramount portfolio. He was an early champion of Taylor Sheridan and helped bring Yellowstone to Paramount Network, wherever it went connected to go nan apical scripted show connected cablegram and launched a franchise. He played an important domiciled successful nan description of nan Taylorverse, including Landman, 1883, 1923, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness, arsenic good arsenic much caller hits for illustration The Madison and Marshals; and nan soon-to-debut Dutton Ranch. He besides helped motorboat Jez Butterworth’s successful slate of bid pinch Paramount+, including MobLand and The Agency. Keith has played a foundational domiciled successful MTV Entertainment Studios’ scripted success.
Additionally, Keith has been instrumental successful nan improvement and motorboat of a wide scope of standout bid crossed Paramount Network and TV Land. These see TV Land’s signature originals Hot successful Cleveland and Younger, which helped redefine nan network’s scripted identity, and connected Netflix, Emily successful Paris, which went connected to go a world hit.
Keith has worked intimately alongside immoderate of nan industry’s biggest showrunners, including Darren Star, Terry Winter, and Jez Butterworth, while besides collaborating pinch longtime partner David Glasser and 101 Studios.
Most importantly, Keith is simply a respected leader and has been an unthinkable partner to some Dana and maine from our first days astatine Paramount. We are grateful for his leadership, collaboration, and nan effect he has had connected our teams, imaginative partners, and franchises.
Over nan adjacent fewer weeks, Keith will activity connected a modulation pinch his talented elder imaginative team, Todd Baynes and Antonia Covault, who person been shepherding these successes alongside Keith and our partners astatine 101 Studios. Both Antonia and Todd will proceed to activity intimately pinch me, and will now study to Carolyn Harris, Head of Current Series.
Please subordinate maine successful thanking Keith for his galore contributions. We wish you nan champion and will miss you deeply!
From Keith Cox:
As I people my 2 decades astatine this astonishing company, I wanted to nonstop a statement of acknowledgment arsenic I embark connected my adjacent chapter.
Twenty years agone this month, I packed my bags and moved to New York City to subordinate Viacom and activity astatine nan TV Land network. Back then, each nan Viacom channels were ramping up their original programming, and since TV Land was location to immoderate of nan astir celebrated comedies of each time, nan institution decided to effort its manus astatine original comedies of its own.
We collapsed retired of nan gross pinch nan incredibly successful HOT IN CLEVELAND. The nighttime we changeable nan pilot, erstwhile Betty White walked onto nan stage, nan assemblage gave her a opinionated ovation that seemed to past 10 minutes. We knew that nighttime we had thing special. HOT IN CLEVELAND went connected for six seasons, won aggregate awards, and helped found TV Land arsenic a morganatic original programming destination, paving nan measurement for our first single-camera comedy, YOUNGER.
YOUNGER, created by nan iconic Darren Star, ran for 7 seasons and became 1 of nan defining shows of nan studio. Darren had already created aggregate world tv hits, and it was incredibly rewarding to partner pinch him successful building another. That imaginative narration yet led america to EMILY IN PARIS, which we sold to Netflix, wherever it became 1 of their astir successful drama bid worldwide. I stay incredibly proud of nan teams, some creatively and down nan scenes, who helped make these bid truthful special.
Then came 2018. The institution decided to rebrand Spike arsenic Paramount Network, and Bob Bakish asked maine to caput up improvement nether Kevin Kay. It was rather an honor, but we knew we had to make an effect quickly and build a slate that could redefine nan network.
In a meal gathering pinch David Glasser, Kevin and I heard a transportation described arsenic “The Godfather successful Montana.” We instantly saw nan potential. A period later, we met pinch Taylor Sheridan and bought YELLOWSTONE successful nan room.
What followed exceeded thing we could person imagined. YELLOWSTONE became nan #1 scripted show connected tv and launched what Chris McCarthy would later telephone nan Taylorverse. With Taylor astatine nan halfway of it all, we built 1 of nan astir compelling lineups successful television: MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, LIONESS, TULSA KING, LANDMAN, THE MADISON, 1883, 1923, CBS’s mega deed MARSHALS, and nan upcoming DUTTON RANCH.
One of nan things I’m proudest of is really aggressively and passionately this institution supported these shows from nan very beginning. With talented teams crossed each section rowing successful nan aforesaid direction, we were capable to motorboat an unprecedented number of successful bid successful a remarkably short magnitude of time.
Most recently, our description into London led america to different exceptional creator, Jez Butterworth. Through my business pinch David Glasser, we brought Jez into nan fold pinch an wide woody that led to nan critically acclaimed THE AGENCY and MOBLAND.
Getting nan opportunity to identify, develop, and nutrient these shows pinch creators for illustration Darren, Taylor, and Jez is what has made this section of my profession truthful fulfilling. But arsenic fulfilling has been moving intimately pinch my imaginative partners Antonia Covault and Todd Baynes, who person been connected this travel pinch maine since nan beginning, and who I cognize will proceed to shepherd these shows moving forward.
I’m incredibly assured that pinch Dana and Matt astatine nan workplace and Cindy, Jane, and Chris astatine Paramount+, these shows and franchises will proceed to thrive. They attraction profoundly astir nan work, nan creators, and nan audiences.
I apologize if this farewell sounds a small for illustration an IMDb page, but these shows were ne'er conscionable titles connected a slate. They were years of collaboration, imaginative risk-taking, belief, difficult work, and friendship. Our shows specify our company, and our institution is defined by its people.
What I will miss astir are nan group who made these 20 years truthful memorable.
And pinch that, I opportunity convey you for 20 astonishing years.
