Tracy Underwood, ABC Signature executive VP of creative affairs, has been named president of the studio. She will report to Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios and Global Original TV Strategy for Disney Entertainment. 

Underwood joined ABC Signature in 2010. She will oversee all creative affairs, including the development of drama, comedy and limited series, as well as the current series slate. 

“As a proven leader at ABC Signature, Tracy has been an instrumental force behind the studio’s development of award-winning and culture-piercing series for over a decade. In this new role leading the studio, Tracy will build on her excellent relationships with our creative and platform partners to grow the studio’s legacy of producing undeniable television,” said Schrier.

Underwood succeeds Jonnie Davis, who stepped down as ABC Signature president in July. 

Sydnee Rimes, senior VP of series, will continue to lead the current series team, now reporting to Underwood. Susan Lewis, senior VP of drama development, and Danny Feldheim, senior VP of comedy development, will continue to report to Underwood.

“I’d like to thank Dana Walden for her extraordinary leadership and Eric Schrier for entrusting me with the opportunity to step into this role. The prospect of leading the studio that I’ve called home for over 10 years is a professional dream come true. Along with the exceptional teams, we will continue to create spectacular, impactful and relevant television during one of the most transformative chapters in our industry,” said Underwood.

Underwood’s TV projects have included Apple TV Plus’s Bad Sisters, FX’s Fleishman Is In Trouble and Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things.

Hulu has renewed its original drama series Reasonable Doubt from Onyx Collective and ABC Signature for a sophomore campaign.

The series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as a Los Angeles-based, high-powered criminal defense attorney dealing with past traumas, a failing marriage, motherhood and a murder case while trying to keep her life  together, according to the streamer.

Actor Morris Chestnut (Peacock's The Best Man: Final Chapters) will join the second season of the series as a media-savvy defense attorney who often represents society’s underdogs, said Hulu. Also starring in the series are McKinley Freeman, Tim Jo, Angela Grovey, Aderinsola Olabode and Thaddeus Mixson. 

Reasonable Doubt is executive produced by Raamla Mohamed, Kerry Washington, Larry Wilmore and Pilar Savone. 

EPIX said it has placed a straight-to-series order for Godfather of Harlem, a 10-episode drama starring Forest Whitaker and produced by ABC Signature Studios. Production will begin later this year and the show is intended to debut in 2019 on the Lionsgate-owned premium network.

Showrunner Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein will write and produce, and Whitaker also will executive produce through his company, Significant Productions. 

Per EPIX, Godfather of Harlem is about crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker), who gets out of prison in the early 1960s and seeks to regain control of his neighborhood streets from the Genovese crime family. He aligns with Malcolm X in a story that "is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history."

“We read the script, and met with Chris, Paul and Forest, and knew immediately that this show was perfect for EPIX,” EPIX president Michael Wright said in a release. “It’s an exciting and relevant story, brought to life by passionate, extraordinary talent and a great studio in ABC Signature. It’s exactly the kind of series we want to put on EPIX as we build awareness and expand the network’s distribution across the country.”

Adds ABC Studios president Patrick Moran: "EPIX is the perfect home for the fascinating and timeless story of Bumpy Johnson. We're so appreciative of the unwavering enthusiasm and passion that Michael and his team have brought to the project. Chris and Paul's script is phenomenal and we're thrilled to have Oscar winner Forest Whitaker on board to produce and star."

And says Whitaker: “Godfather of Harlem is a show with powerful relevance to the issues we face today – gang violence, police brutality, opioid addiction and racial politics in a divided country. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to bring this character to life and to work with Michael Wright, the EPIX team, and ABC Signature, alongside excellent writers and producers.”