AMC and BBC America veteran Sarah Barnett is stepping down from her position as AMC Networks Entertainment Group president, the company said Thursday.

Barnett, who was named to the position in 2018, will depart after Labor Day, according to AMC. AMC Networks COO Ed Carroll will assume the position on an interim basis.

Barnett joined AMC Networks in 2008 as senior VP of marketing for the Sundance Channel (now SundanceTV) before being named president and general manager of BBC America in 2014.

“This is a year that has confronted us with radical change on multiple fronts,” said Barnett in a statement. “After a lot of consideration – and with a slightly breaking heart – I have decided that it is the right time for me to follow my curiosity and leave things in the very capable hands of the outstanding team at AMC Networks.”

Added Carroll. “Sarah came to AMC Networks more than a decade ago, when we acquired Sundance Channel. She immediately put her stamp on Sundance with fresh, impactful storytelling like Rectify and Top of the Lake which continued when she took the reins of BBC America, growing Orphan Black, the network’s natural history franchises and developing the critical and audience hit Killing Eve. At AMC, she expanded the growing franchise of The Walking Dead while greenlighting new shows including Kevin Can F*** Himself and 61st Street, and she built a strong team to meet the shifting nature of our business. Sarah is one of the most versatile executives I have had the pleasure of working with – expert at programming, branding and team building, all with an eye toward the business of a rapidly changing entertainment landscape. She is also a truly progressive leader. We will miss her at AMC Networks.”

Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has tapped BBC America president and general manager Sarah Barnett and Comcast executive vice president and chief communications officer D’Arcy Rudnay as its respective 2017 programmer and operator “Woman of The Year” honorees.

WICT also announced its “2017 Women To Watch” honorees, which include Samira Panah Bakhtiar, Director of Media Operations for Cisco Systems -- the first award recipient of the newly established Technology category -- Tina Thornton, Senior Vice President of Production & Multimedia Sponsorship Integration and Management Operations for ESPN; and Charlene Keys, AVP, Field Operations, Western North Carolina, for Charter Communications. 

Honorees will receive their awards during the WICT Touchstones Luncheon on Monday, Sept. 25, at the WICT Leadership Conference, part of the cable industry's annual Diversity Week. AMC Networks will once again return as the exclusive Premier Sponsor of the Touchstones Luncheon. 

"WICT is honored to applaud and celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary individuals," said Maria Brennan, CAE, President and CEO of WICT, in a statement. "Each honoree embodies the WICT Touchstones of Leadership and serves as a shining example for others in the industry to emulate. We look forward to showcasing their accomplishments during this year's Touchstones Luncheon as part of Diversity Week 2017, and we thank AMC Networks for their continued support of this important event."

As the holiday season approaches, several cable networks will hope to receive an early ratings gift by premiering high-profile scripted content in mid-November.

With the end of a long and ratings-rich presidential election and with the broadcast networks set to take a hiatus from scheduling new episodes of scripted shows heading into the holidays, cable networks like BBC America, Pop, National Geographic, TNT and TBS are all hoping to fill a programming void with original content.

“We wanted to get in just ahead of the holiday programming and take advantage of a moment when a lot of the noise around fall launches is abating,” BBC America president Sarah Barnett said. “No week of the year is uncluttered today, but believe it or not, there can be a small moment of relative space here.”

PAUSE BEFORE HOLIDAYS

BBC America on Wednesday (Nov. 16) will premiere crime drama Undercover, one of at least eight new cable scripted series premiering within 10 days of Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24). Typically, networks tend to shy away from premiering new shows in the days leading up to the holiday season and the glut of holiday specials and movies. But with more than 400 scripted shows launching year round, Barnett said no time period is off-limits.

Pop president Brad Schwartz said strong ratings for presidential election coverage has shortened what is normally a solid series premiere window running from mid- October through mid-November. As a result, the network will debut its late night-themed comedy series Nightcap later than desired, on Nov. 16.

“If you’re waiting for the election to end but you want it be in front of the holidays, this is the time to launch,” Schwartz said. “You don’t want to get too far into the holiday season because then you get close to Christmas when people’s viewing habits begin to change and it becomes harder to get the message out for your show.”

National Geographic will premiere its highly-touted Mars series tonight (Nov. 14, see review). The network is launching a new on-air look and rebrand around the Brian Grazer/Ron Howard produced series, which will feature both scripted and documentary elements around the future colonization of the red planet.

“Mars is the centerpiece of our new premium strategy and its creatively ambitious for us,” Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Global Networks, said. “We’re really interested in what the audience thinks and how they react.”

‘SEARCH PARTY’ ON THE WAY

TBS and BBC America said they too are altering the debut schedule of their respective new shows to help build greater awareness and ratings. TBS will launch its 10-episode comedy series Search Party over five consecutive nights beginning Nov. 21, according to network officials.

BBC America’s six-hour Undercover series will air over two nights. Barnett said the network wanted to create some additional buzz for the series by allowing viewers to binge view the series over consecutive nights.

“As a linear network, we understand that there is some content that audiences especially love to binge, and phenomenally written, dramatically shocking mini seasons fall into this category of ‘must devour’ TV,” Barnett said. “We scheduled it in a way where fans could truly immerse themselves in this riveting thriller.”

SIDEBAR: On Script

A partial list of the scripted cable series premiering between Nov. 14-24:

Show                          Network                    Genre                     Premiere Date

Mars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nat Geo . . . . . . . . . Drama . . . . . . . . . . .Nov. 14

Good Behavior . . . . . . . .TNT . . . . . . . . . . . Drama . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 15

Shooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USA . . . . . . . . . . Drama . . . . . . . . . . .Nov. 15

Sweet/Vicious . . . . . . . .  MTV . . . . . . . . . Dramedy . . . . . . . . . .Nov. 15

Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . Audience Network . . . . . Drama . . . . . . . . . . .Nov. 16

Nightcap . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pop . . . . . . . . . . . Comedy . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 16

Undercover . . . . . . . BBC America . . . . . . . Drama . . . . . . . . . . .Nov. 16

Lovesick . . . . . . . . . . . . Netflix . . . . . . . . . Comedy . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 17

Search Party . . . . . . . . . .TBS . . . . . . . . . . . Comedy . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 21

SOURCE :Multichannel News research

The aftershow genre is drawing more networks eager to offer fans more exposure to their favorite hit series — and on more platforms, too.

Network executives said aftershows — the best-known of which is AMC’s live post-The Walking Dead panel show Talking Dead — are a relatively easy way to create original content that serves the big audiences for hit shows, especially in the fantasy and sci-fi realms, at a fraction of the cost.

Syfy is the latest network to dive in, launching a weekly Tuesday night podcast to support the second season of time-travel drama series 12 Monkeys, which launches tonight (April 18). The Talking Monkeys podcast, to be made available at Syfy.com and in the iTunes Store, will feature series creator and executive producer Terry Matalas and cast members discuss the show’s most recent episode.

The goal of Talking Monkeys is to reach 12 Monkeys fans online, Matthew Chiavelli, senior vice president of Syfy Digital, said.

“The 12 Monkeys audience has proven to be ravenous consumers of any of the ancillary digital content that Syfy has created since the show’s premiere last year -- so we saw this as an ideal series to launch a podcast,” Chiavelli said. “12 Monkeys, being a multilayered show with deep, rich storytelling, is perfect for this medium that allows for longer-form discussion.”

Talking Monkeys joins several other after-show series debuting in April. AMC tonight (April 18) will air a live Talking Saul aftershow following the season-two finale of drama series Better Call Saul. The network first aired Talking Saul, hosted by Talking Dead’s Chris Hardwick, after the show’s second season premiere on Feb. 15.

Speaking of Talking Dead, AMC on April 10 launched the series for the second-season premiere of zombie series Fear The Walking Dead, a spinoff of the cable’s top rated series The Walking Dead. A week prior, the Talking Dead that followed TWD’s season-six finale averaged 7.9 million viewers (on a Nielsen-plus-3-day basis). While that was a big drop-off from the 14.1 million viewers who watched The Walking Dead, it was a big enough audience to make the series the fifth-most-watched show of the week, Nielsen reported.

Crossing platforms again, HBO tapped Grantland founder Bill Simmons to create an on demand aftershow for Game of Thrones. After the Thrones will appear on HBO Now, HBO Go and HBO On Demand the Monday after each new Sunday-night Game of Thrones episode, starting April 25.

Last Thursday (April 14) BBC America launched the first after show based on its hit series Orphan Black. After the Black features hosts Ajay Fry, Morgan Hoffman and Teddy Wilson discussing the plot hints and twists of the sci-fi series’ fourth season.

BBC America president and general manager Sarah Barnett said the aftershow allows the network to superserve its Orphan Black viewer fanbase.

“These shows have a raw, unfiltered feeling of true access to talent both in front of and behind the camera — and given how central TV is to pop culture this fuels the conversation in such an organic way,” Barnett said. “What’s more, it’s the most relevant lead out possible to follow a new episode of Orphan Black.” And, she noted, “it’s relatively cost effective.”

“It’s passion, cloned,” Barnett said, playing off the multiple cloned characters Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany plays. “It’s a virtuous circle of feeding and fueling fan love for our show.”  

BBC America will tap the popular medieval drama genre with The Oct. 10 debut of The Last Kingdom. The series, adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling The Saxon Stories series of books and produced by Downton Abbey’s Carnival Films, re-tells the history of King Alfred the Great and his desire to unite several kingdoms into what would eventually become England.

BBC America president and general manager Sarah Barnett says that The Last Kingdom has a distinct look and feel that sets itself apart from other shows in the genre such as HBO’s Emmy-winning Game Of Thrones and Fx's The Bastard Executioner.

Here’s what Barnett wants you to know about The Last Kingdom:

It’s not a copycat of other period dramas:  There have been many great period dramas made about early England, but just as Downton Abbey managed to show you something you thought you already knew in a new way that humanizes that time and place, the same exact thing happens here with The Last Kingdom. It’s set in the 9th century period that you think you may know. It’s set in the context of real history during a crazy time of brutality, and I think what this show does is provide a look that is surprising fresh and surprisingly modern.

It stays true to history: What’s attractive about The Last Kingdom is the approach that the show takes to maintain the integrity of the time and its basis in real history.  It features characters and relationships that are not at the mercy of the plot – you feel like you could know these people. I think quite often in this genre there’s a certain kind of thrilling spectacle but also a certain kind of pomposity in the characterization. What is arresting about The Last Kingdom is it’s not sentimental or indulgent, and these people speak to each other in a way that is shockingly direct and familiar to us in the 21st century. The relationship between Uhtred, the main character and Brida, who he falls in love with, is a relationship that is recognizable to any 21st century man or woman, and has a directness and freshness. It’s incredible engrossing against the backdrop of this incredibly brutal time.

It adheres to the BBC America brand: A BBC America drama has to feel original, fresh and take big swings in storytelling. When you take a look at Doctor Who, Orphan Black and now The Last Kingdom, you do see the quality that’s always going to be baked in the BBC America brand. Our shows have depth in writing but they are characterized by not taking themselves too seriously – there’s a certain kind of cheekiness or wit with Doctor Who and Orphan Black that you see in The Last Kingdom, despite a genre that is not characterized by cheeky wit. So I think there are some things that we are starting to realize that our fans are really love about us, and The Last Kingdom is absolutely within that wheelhouse.

AMC president Charlie Collier will add SundanceTV to his portfolio.

AMC Networks Wednesday named Collier as president and general manager of SundanceTV, overseeing the independent film and original programming service along with AMC.

Collier effectively replaces Sarah Barnett who had been named to head up sister service BBC America in November, shortly after AMC Networks purchased the company last year; she had been managing both networks in the interim

Collier, who joined  AMC in 2006, will continue to report to Ed Carroll, chief operating officer of AMC Networks.

 “Running AMC and Sundance under common management makes good sense for both networks, which are heavily focused on high-end drama,” Carroll said. “Charlie has done a great job in moving AMC to a leadership position in the TV landscape. He inherits SundanceTV at a time when it has gained momentum from its original programs like Rectify, The Honorable Woman and The Returned – which often pop up on critics’ top ten lists.”

Bolstering its programming team, BBC America has named Nena Rodrigue to the newly created position of executive vice president of original programming, acquisitions and production.

In her new post, Rodrigue, who was formerly senior vice president of programming and producution of Sundance TV, will oversee all of BBC America's development, original productions, co-productions, and acquisitions.

Rodrigue, in her new job, reunites wth Sarah Barnett, who is now president of BBC America. Barnett  previously served  in that role at Sundance TV.

Both services are part of the AMC Networks channel group, with BBC America operated as a joint venture between AMC Networks and BBC Worldwide. In October, AMC Networks said it would pay  $200 million for a 49.9% interest in BBC America and enter into a partnership with the network’s parent, BBC Worldwide. As part of the agreement, BBC Worldwide will retain 50.1% in the channel. AMC Networks has operational control of BBC America, including affiliate and advertising sales.

“Nena is a highly sophisticated programming executive, with a creative vision that will be invaluable for BBC America’s next phase of growth,” said Barnett, to whom Rodrigue will report. “Nena has helped drive SundanceTV’s evolution as a distinctive player in the scripted drama space, and she has played a key role in multiple SundanceTV-BBC co-productions. I couldn’t be more pleased to have her join the talented team at BBC America.”

Rodrigue will continue to oversee SundanceTV development and production for an interim period until a new successor is named.

Upon joining that network in March 2013, Rodrigue has overseen the development and production of some high-profile and acclaimed programming including two seasons of original series Rectify, The Honorable Woman, The Returned, The Red Road and Babylon. Maggie Gyllenhaal won the Golden Globe for the best actress in a TV miniseries or movie for her role as Nessa Stein in The Honorable Woman,' in which she finds herself inheriting her father’s arms business and in the middle of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

Before working at SundanceTV,  she held various development and production roles for Dick Wolf’s Wolf Films, Touchstone TV, Imagine Television, Witt-Thomas productions, and in Fox’s alternative TV division.

At BBC America, Rodrigue is joining a programming unit, whose 2015 slate includes returning fare Broadchurch (March 4), Orphan Black (April 18), Luther and Ripper Street, plus new series entries, Mud, Sweat and Gears, Tatau, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell,The Last Kingdom and London Spy.

SundanceTV general manger Sarah Barnett will take over the position of BBC America president and general manager, AMC Networks said Friday.

Barnett will oversee both BBC America and SundanceTV for an interim period until the SundanceTV position is filled. Barnett will continue to report to Ed Carroll, chief operating officer of AMC Networks. Barnett began her television career at the BBC and BBC America before transitioning to then Sundance Channel in 2005. While there, SundanceTV raised its profile with the addition of original programs such as Top of the Lake, The Honorable Woman (co-produced by the BBC) and Rectify.

Current BBC America general manager Perry Simon will receive an exclusive production deal with BBC Worldwide North America, AMC Networks said, adding that Simon had said earlier he would be leaving at the end of the year. On his watch, BBC America developed and launched as original series the Civil War-era police drama Copper and the current hit Orphan Black. 

The moves come a month after AMC Networks obtained operational control of BBC America as part of AMC’s $200 million purchase of 49% interest of the network from BBC Worldwide.

“Sarah has had a remarkable tenure guiding SundanceTV through a dramatic evolution, taking the network ad-supported and establishing it as a formidable player in the scripted drama space,” Carroll said in a release. “Sarah’s appetite for creative risk-taking and her strong leadership skills are well suited to this new role and we look forward to her building on BBC America’s successes, as the network continues to establish itself as a showcase for high quality shows that resonate with critics and audiences alike.”

BBC Worldwide said Simon (pictured) will develop and produce programs for networks and digital platforms. He will continue to work closely with U.K. independent producers and writers, including those that BBC Worldwide has invested in. He reports into Matt Forde, EVP sales and co-productions, BBC Worldwide North America.

Herb Scannell, president of BBC Worldwide North America, said in a release that "Perry is a creative force and has led BBC America with dedication and distinction. His deep knowledge of development, production, scheduling and marketing – along with his hallmark determination and thoughtfulness -- have been key in growing the channel and reaching new audiences.”

Beverly Hills -- SundanceTV will premiere a two-part mini-series during the November Thanksgiving weekend, the network announced Friday during its Television Critics Association summer press tour session.

 One Child, which will air Nov. 28 and Nov. 29, stars Katie Leung (Harry Potter) and features Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds) and Donald Sumpter (Game of Thrones and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), the network said. The two-part series follows a Chinese-born woman adopted by British parents who struggles to determine her family loyalties, said network officials.

“One Child  tells the story of an ordinary young woman who is plunged into a situation that challenges her to her core,” said SundanceTV president, Sarah Barnett in a statement. “It takes viewers on an immersive journey across the globe and shines a bold spotlight on the complexity of family dynamics and personal identity.”

The editors of Multichannel News have selected the 12 women in the Class of 2014 of Wonder Women. They will be profiled in the Jan. 27 edition of the magazine and honored at a March 26 luncheon in New York City, co-sponsored by WICT New York.

The class of 2014, in alphabetical order, is:

• Sarah Barnett, president, Sundance Channel;
• Jennifer Chun, senior vice president, content acquisition, Time Warner Cable;
• Patricia Fili-Krushel, chairman, NBCUniversal News Group;
• Laura Lee, executive vice president, distribution, Crown Media Family Networks;
• Tara Maitra, senior vice president, general manager, content and media sales, TiVo;
• Kimberly Maki, corporate vice president, communications, Bright House Networks;
• Jodi Markley, senior vice president, operations, ESPN;
• Janet Nova, executive vice president and deputy group general counsel, 21st Century Fox;
• Brenda Freeman, chief marketing officer, Turner Broadcasting’s Animation Young Adults & Kids Media;
• Jessica Rodriguez, executive vice president, program scheduling and promotions, Univision Communications;
• Lisa Rosenblum, executive vice president, government and public affairs, Cablevision Systems; and
• Kathryn Zachem, senior vice president regulatory, Comcast.

The 2014 class of Women to Watch will be announced at a later date.

For more information about Wonder Women and the luncheon event, please visit www.mcnwonderwomen.com.