On Thursday, Disney Entertainment Television (DET) announced that it has selected the latest cohorts for the company’s Scripted Directing and Writing Programs, two of the entertainment industry’s most successful talent development initiatives.
After expanding into daytime television just last year, three program participants will direct episodes for ABC’s “General Hospital,” with other individuals positioned across Disney-owned 20th Television, ABC Entertainment and ABC Signature-produced programs as directors or writers.
ABC
Joining the “General Hospital” team are Erica Eng, Nina Kramer and Aubrey Smyth, each of whom will be shadowing and directing episodes of the daytime drama series, which recently won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series at “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” in December. The team was represented by directors Tina Keller, Robert Markham, Allison Reames Smith, Gary Tomlin, Frank Valentini (the show’s executive producer), Denise Van Cleave and Phideaux Xavier, and a team of associate directors, production associates and stage managers.
Other Disney programming receiving program participants this year include Haley Elizabeth Anderson at “The Chi” (Showtime), Letia Solomon at “Station 19” (ABC) and Tracy Taylor at “The Good Doctor” (ABC).
Todd Wawrychuk/ABC
Since its founding, the DET Directing Program has nurtured the careers of notable alumni, including Tessa Blake (“A Million Little Things”), Pete Chatmon (“black-ish”), Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther” franchise), Regina King (“Insecure”), Marvin Lemus (“Gentefied”), Jaffar Mahmood (“Young Sheldon”), Nzingha Stewart (“Little Fires Everywhere”) and “General Hospital” alum Kimberly McCullough (ex-Robin Scorpio-Drake), who took part in the program when it was called the Disney/ABC Talent Development for Directors program in 2012.
As for the writing portion of the program, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, the DET Writing Program is a launchpad for fresh voices in television storytelling and helps diverse comedy and drama writers secure their first staff writer assignment on a Disney series.
This year’s cohort includes writers Sarah Beth Ballard, Jordan Crawford, Paloma Lamb, Naomi Lambert, Mahtub Zare Mochanloo, Elisa Oh and Jorge Thomson (Comedy), and writers Letícia Ayroza, Derek Cioch, Isabel E., Jordan Goodman, Jaleese Ramos, Antoine Perry and Rance Ward (Drama).
“It’s an honor to welcome these exceptional directors and writers into the DET Directing and Writing Programs,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development and Inclusion, DET. “It’s clear that this group of talented creatives will have a lasting impact not only on Disney but on the industry at large. We’re proud to be part of their journey to shape the future of storytelling.”
Sarah Beth Ballard has been selected as The Fifth Annual Eunetta T. Boone Comedy Writers Scholar, which provides mentorship from Disney Branded Television (DBT) and special staffing consideration on a DBT series. The scholarship honors trailblazing showrunner, producer and comedy writer Eunetta T. Boone, who was executive producer and showrunner for DBT’s “Raven’s Home,” among many other credits.
Rance Ward has been selected as the inaugural FX Singleton Scholar, receiving mentorship from FX and special staffing consideration on an FX series. The scholarship honors the life and legacy of legendary director and producer John Singleton. The youngest and first Black person to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, Singleton co-created the FX drama “Snowfall,” directed episodes for FX’s “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” and mentored many other creatives embarking on careers in television.
Notable program alumni include show creators, co-creators and showrunners such as Zahir McGhee (“Queens”), Raamla Mohamed (“Reasonable Doubt”), Saladin Patterson (“The Wonder Years,” “Dave”), Aseem Batra (“I Feel Bad”), Ayanna Floyd Davis (“The Chi”), Dailyn Rodriguez (“Queen of the South”) and Anthony Sparks (“Queen Sugar”).