Universal Names New VP of Drama

UNIVERSAL CITY, January
30: Former SCI FI Channel executive Nora O’Brien has been appointed VP of drama
programming at Universal Media Studios.

In her new position,
O’Brien will act as both a development and a current executive for scripted
series. Among the projects she will work on are Tom Fontana’s The
Philanthropist, a recently
acquired 13-episode series, and Bionic Woman.

At SCI FI Channel, O’Brien
served as the VP of original programming for four years. She developed episodic
and long-form programs, including The Lost Room, and was also the current programming executive on
Stargate and Stargate
Atlantis. She also coordinated
with SCIFI.com to develop programming ideas and initiatives.

"We are excited to
have Nora join our drama team," said Elisa Roth, the senior VP of drama at
Universal Media Studios. "She knows how to think out of the box, has
terrific relationships in the creative community and is a hard worker who has
already become a valuable asset to our studio."

—By Ned Berke