Former Netflix Exec Sarah Geismer Joins Crooked Media as Head of Development
In a move to further expand into TV and film, the progressive podcast company Crooked Media has hired Sarah Geismer as its first head of creative development & production. Geismer is leaving her post at Netflix as an original series executive. At Crooked, Geismer will lead development for all its active and upcoming podcast, television, and film projects.
“Throughout her career, Sarah has demonstrated an incredible ability to champion and shepherd a diverse slate of shows, and has consistently identified stories and talent that resonate with audiences and compel them to keep tuning in.” Crooked’s COO Sarah Wick said in a statement. “We’re thrilled Sarah is bringing that wealth of experience to Crooked, as the company continues to expand and grow in new directions.”
Also Read: Netflix Misses Big on Q2 Subscriber Growth, Stock Falls 10%
Crooked Media is home of the political podcast “Pod Save America,” hosted by former Obama staffers and Crooked’s co-founders Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor, as well as a former senior advisor for Obama, Dan Pfeiffer. In 2018, HBO and Crooked Media teamed up to adapt “Pod Save America” into a series of hour-long specials for the premium network leading up to the 2018 midterm elections.
Before Netflix, Geismer served as VP of comedy development at 20th Century Fox TV, working on projects like “Single Parents” on ABC and “Cool Kids” on Fox. Geismer joined 20th Century Fox TV after seven years at Fox’s cable production divisions. She has overseen a mix of drama and comedy projects including “The Chi,” “Maron,” “Sirens,” “The Comedians,” “Complications,” and “Burn Notice.”
On Wednesday, Netflix announced it fell short of its projected Q2 subscriber growth, adding 2.7 million new subscribers instead of the 5 million number Netflix had projected in April. In a letter to shareholders, CEO Reed Hastings attributed the loss to a lack of “material change in the competitive landscape during Q2.”
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