Julie McNamara is back developing series for CBS Studios — with one slight difference.
McNamara, the former head of CBS Studios drama development, has joined Jennie Snyder Urman’s Sutton St. Productions as partner to create and develop series for broadcast and streaming. Urman has had an overall deal with CBS Studios since 2012 — she and McNamara have worked together plenty.
McNamara exited Paramount Global officially as the head of Paramount+ originals in 2021. Months after, she joined Spotify as head of its U.S. studios and video. There, McNamara licensed podcasts from Alex Cooper, Dax Shepard, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peele and Trevor Noah; she left that job in May 2024. Before CBS/Paramount, McNamara was vice president of drama development for ABC, during the Grey’s Anatomy heyday and Lost’s epic run.
Urman recently created the new Matlock with Kathy Bates, which airs on CBS. She is also the producer behind Jane the Virgin.
“For over a decade, CBS Studios has been my creative home, and I couldn’t be prouder to continue to build stories with David Stapf, Bryan Seabury, Kate Adler and their exceptional teams,” Urman said in a statement. “And now reuniting and partnering with Julie McNamara, who was so instrumental in my early projects at the studio, feels both full-circle and full of possibility.”
“Jennie and Julie have been a beloved part of our CBS Studios family for years,” Stapf, president of CBS Studios, added. “As a writer, Jennie’s voice is original, her storytelling is deeply human and her series continue to break through culture and resonate with audiences around the world. We’re equally excited to welcome Julie back into the family. Her spot-on instinct for powerful television was a driving force behind some of the most successful and culturally significant titles in the history of CBS Studios. Together, Jennie and Julie are a formidable team, and we can’t wait to see the stories they bring to life.”
