Biography
Highly esteemed TV industry leader Channing Dungey was named Chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group, in October 2020, and started her tenure at the Studio in January 2021. In this role, she has creative responsibility for all of Warner Bros.' unrivaled television production activities, including production of scripted and unscripted/alternative series for on-demand/streaming platforms, premium/pay and basic cable channels, and the broadcast networks.
As Chairman, Dungey oversees Warner Bros. Television, the Studio's flagship television production unit for live-action scripted programming, as well as Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, which produces unscripted and alternative programming through its three production units: Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures, and Shed Media. As of January 2021, the scripted and unscripted divisions are producing more than 120 total series for streaming and cable partners, as well as the broadcast networks and local stations.
Prior to Warner Bros., Dungey most recently served as Vice President of Original Series at Netflix. During that time, she played a part in bringing David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to Netflix, as well as championing a number of new overall producing deals with talent, including Regina King, Mara Brock Akil, Bill Prady, Michael Green, and Gina Rodriguez. She shepherded such high-profile series as Self Made: Inspired By the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, starring Octavia Spencer; the Hilary Swank starrer Away; and two series from prolific producer Shonda Rhimes: the highly acclaimed hit romantic period drama Bridgerton, and Inventing Anna, an eagerly anticipated drama inspired by the life of real-life conwoman Anna Delvey. Dungey was also involved in the acquisition of Darren Star's series Emily in Paris, which debuted in October 2020 and was quickly renewed for a second season.
Prior to that, she served as president of ABC Entertainment, overseeing all development, programming, marketing and scheduling operations for ABC primetime and late-night. During her tenure, she shepherded a wide variety of successful programming, including the hit drama The Good Doctor and the successful return of American Idol. ABC was the most social network on air under her leadership, raising platforms for series such as black-ish, How to Get Away with Murder and The Goldbergs, and helping reinvigorate long-running series such as Grey's Anatomy.
Dungey joined the network's drama development department in June 2009, during which time she developed and launched such hit series as Scandal, Quantico, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., American Crime and Once Upon a Time. Prior to that, she oversaw development and acquisition of drama programming for ABC Studios, where her slate included Shondaland's Private Practice and CBS's long-running drama Criminal Minds, among many others.
Dungey's experience in entertainment spans both television and film. She partnered with Pamela Post and formed Dexterity Pictures, a production partnership focused on making both studio and independent films, as well as developing television series. She also served as president of Material, a film production company with a first-look deal at Warner Bros. Prior to that, she served for five years as a Warner Bros. production executive, helping to develop and supervise a diverse range of commercially successful, critically acclaimed films.
Dungey, who graduated magna cum laude from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, has been a visiting professor at the school and serves on the school's Executive Board. She is also a founding and current board member of Step Up, and a board member of Children's Institute. Dungey is a Los Angeles member of BAFTA and serves on the Motion Picture & Television Fund Board of Governors.
