Former Nat Geo Commissioner Sets Up Table 41 Entertainment

Francesca Johnson, former director of development and production at National Geographic, has launched the development, consultancy and finance company Table 41 Entertainment.

Table 41 will serve as an incubator for new projects across the factual, fact-ent and unscripted spectrum, alongside premium factual, limited drama and documentary series. There are a number of projects already in Table 41’s development pipeline, including soon-to-be-announced series with BossaNova Media, Atomic Television and Dare Pictures.

Johnson worked for National Geographic for 11 years. Most recently, Johnson served as executive VP of content at Anyway Content, where she was responsible for building the startup’s non-scripted business and driving its scripted and non-scripted development slate.

Johnson said: “We all know that our business is going through tough times and that it’s never been more difficult to get creative projects off the ground. But the truth is, you don’t need to be a mega label or a super indie to get a show greenlit—you need to be flexible, efficient and connected. Development can be a real drag in isolation, and this agency is about growing your ‘table for one,’ expanding your network and creating the positive momentum needed to turn great ideas into even better shows.”