Paul Lee

First reported by The New York Times, Paul Lee has stepped down as president, ABC Entertainment Group, effective immediately. Ben Sherwood, co-chairman, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney|ABC Television Group, has named Channing Dungey as Lee’s successor as president, ABC Entertainment. Dungey, who is credited with the successful launch of such shows as “Scandal,” “Criminal Minds,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Quantico,” “Army Wives” and “Once Upon A Time,” will report directly to Sherwood. Patrick Moran, executive vice president, ABC Studios, will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, and will also report directly to Mr. Sherwood.

First, “Grey’s Anatomy” lost Derek Shepherd. Now, Port Charles is losing their own resident McDreamy. After a decade as dashing Dr. Patrick Drake, Jason Thompson has taped his final scenes at “General Hospital.”

Hot on the heels of Fox and NBC’s release of their fall 2014-2015 primetime schedules comes the reveal of ABC’s fall schedule, which includes several new series (which you can read more about here).

It’s not often that you’ll see the big four networks – ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox – working together, but this past Thursday, representatives from each network put the competition aside for a good cause.

Lisa Hackner has been named Executive Vice President, Daytime and Syndicated Programming, ABC Entertainment Group, it was announced today by Paul Lee, President, ABC Entertainment Group, with whom she will report. Hackner will be responsible for first-run development and production.

The revival of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” could be just the start of cancelled network shows finding new homes in other places. Not only will “Arrested Development,” a popular comedy Fox cancelled in 2006, continue on Netflix starting Sunday, May 26, but ABC’s recently cancelled ‘Body of Proof’ may get a similar second chance!

As previously reported, ABC Entertainment Group President, Paul Lee, has called much of the networks new 2013-2014 primetime dramas “soaps,” and we definitely agree with that assessment. Wondering what our readers thought of the shows, we thought we’d give you a closer look at the networks new dramatic offerings.

When ABC unveiled its new fall lineup this week, one thing fans couldn’t help but notice was a drastic cut for “Dancing With the Stars,” which will only be airing one night a week — on Mondays — come fall. The network has decided to build the results show into the new two-hour once-a-week format, and ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee has spilled the details on why that decision was made, as well as teased some other major changes in store for the popular reality series.

ABC formally announced its new lineup of shows on Tuesday at an upfront presentation held at New York City’s Avery Fisher Hall, and Paul Lee, the ABC Entertainment Group president, called series like the network’s new Steven Spielberg-produced drama, “Lucky 7,” soaps! And he revealed much more about the new shows in a special press conference in which Soap Opera Network took part.

Andrew Kubitz, an esteemed entertainment executive with 17 years of scheduling experience, has been named executive vice president, Program Planning & Scheduling, ABC Entertainment Group, it was announced today by Paul Lee, president, ABC Entertainment Group, to whom he will report. In his new role, Kubitz will have oversight of daytime, primetime and late-night program planning and scheduling, as well as film acquisition and theatrical inventory. Kubitz will also facilitate and coordinate windowing strategies for ABC Entertainment Group programming across all platforms.