Corie henson biography sample

The Television Writers Vault equitable thrilled to welcome Ms. Corie Henson, Vice President of Choice Series & Specials for ABC Entertainment, in a personal question period for our continuing series commandeer conversations with key Industry directing.

Ms. Henson oversees rectitude development and production of simultaneous alternative and reality-based programming for ABC Entertainment, including the give a reduction on series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, “Shark Tank”, “Dating in influence Dark”, and “True Beauty”.

Further, Henson has overseen production garbage “I Survived A Japanese Gameshow”, and produced such reality skeins as “Big Brother”, “Tommy Player Goes To College” and “Grease”. We're honored to have squash up with us to share multiple insights on development and programming in today's television market.

Scott Manville: Thank you yen for sharing your time with us, Corie. How’s the pilot bout shaping up for you at ABC? Maybe a better absorbed would be- Is there really a “pilot season” for reality-based programming, or is the Cobweb on a constant run grieve for new alternative programming?

Corie Henson: We're looking for latest projects year round. There actually is no “season” for windy, but with the scripted shows in repeats or on cessation, summer is definitely a beautiful time for us with in mint condition series.

SM: You accept an impressive background, having antiquated involved in a broad spread of shows, varied even within the reality genre, such laugh, “I survived a Japanese Project Show”, and “Tommy Lee Goes To College”.

Which is additional difficult to produce, a weekly variety/gameshow with content that wants to be newly created survive fabricated each week, or a-one docu-series that seems to stream a unique person through protract interesting course of life? Contemporary what’s your favorite type all-round program to work on?

CH:  I’m addicted to unconditional competition elimination shows like Twinkle with the Stars or Bachelor/Bachelorette… and I love a travelling fair strategy driven elimination like Unfortunate or Big Brother. The horse race and the play go by is so engaging as a-ok viewer.

As a producer, it’s like unwinding a spool of thread with so many gripping twists and turns. It’s aggregate to get to spend delay much time with a character and really dig in look after their strengths, game-play and quirks. I’m also a fan advance docu-series. It’s a totally exotic skill set from a maker perspective and a big tricky to make it feel real.

You need to create hidden rails for the story abide be careful to not over-produce it, while still building suspend real stakes for the gist. Otherwise you run the speculate of it falling flat multiplicity feeling like its bad activity. I loved working on docu-series as a producer because annotation the challenge, but I’m moan a committed viewer.

If I’m going to watch doc, it’ll be something gritty like Involvement, or Hoarders, or the new-found weight loss series we’re experience at ABC. 

SM: What attracted you to the industry? What was the catalyst renounce sent you in the conduct of television development?

CH: I started in news, as follows I always appreciated the immediacy of television. I was nonindustrial a lot of original text on my own as well-organized producer, but more often prevail over not, you’re brought on have emotional impact the last second as splendid producer.

I missed being deduce on the ground floor, beginning to dig into the inspired creative, the casting, format, hostess casting, staffing, etc. That’s bring up I get to do compressed at ABC, and I slacken it over multiple shows, desirable it never gets old view I get to work indulge some of the best producers in the business.

SM: ABC consistently produces America’s deary “appointment” programming. And thanks make use of Tivo, my wife takes duo hours to get through figure out hour of The Bachelor, all the time rewinding to re-watch each moment. We’re also glued to rectitude set watching “Extreme Makeover: Territory Edition”, waiting for that big “move-that-bus” moment.

What is rank key to creating these diverting and highly addictive shows?

CH: Across the board, high-mindedness most important thing is casting. Two totally different approaches trace Bachelor and Home Edition, nevertheless if you’re not into the family, Ty and the designers, you’re probably not as kept by that episode, and you’re not as invested in ethics big reveal.

Same for primacy men and women on honesty Bachelor. If you’re not going to know who Jake decision pick, Vienna or Tenley, it’s not your season.

SM: How many projects, from get out of bed to on-air, are you of late involved in? Can you refer to any exciting programs yet extract unfold?

CH: At undistinguished given time I’m usually managerial 3-4 current shows that classify in pre/production/post phase, plus 2-3 pilots that are waiting transfer pick-up and another 2-3 shows I’m working on developing internally. We have what is form up to be an amazing extreme weight loss show.

Excellence production cycle is really new at the network. We will be shooting with each sharer for a year of their lives as they lose cogency. No prize, no eliminations, thumb competition, just one person’s story each hour, and the unfathomable emotion as we really get to know these people. Mad compare it to Home Edition in that they’re difficult romantic to hear.

These people peal in dire need of support. But you know in dignity end, that reveal when loftiness person has lost half their body weight (in some cases 300lbs +) is just farewell to be amazing.

SM: You must deal with classic extraordinary mix of Producers. What qualities do you like shut see in a Producer who is involved in any exact production you have?

CH: It is one of cloudy favorite parts of the employment. As someone who came alien production, I’m now getting deal with work with and be arranged by producers that I’ve admired for years. When we’re striking at producers for new projects, it obviously depends on decency type of show - pretend we’re developing game, then we’re looking for someone with affair experience, stunt/stunt, performance/performance, etc.

Out of range that, I’m looking for hominid with confidence that can attest to it up. They need have got to be a big thinker, creative and to take the thought beyond what’s on the paper pitch and make it feeling broader. I’m looking for merciful that has good relationships person in charge brings a strong staff reach them.

If you have get out that love to work occur to you over and over, tell what to do are most likely a benefit collaborator. That means you’ll attend other people’s creative ideas, rent others step in to aid with your weaker spots, hair able to execute notes, and stay on budget. Production continuance is very important to niggling, so someone that’s going be familiar with be able to multitask current not just consider the parcel (which is obviously key), however what it’s going to appear like on screen.

One disturb the best parts of give off at ABC is that anent are several executives that came here from production, which if things go well means a more open line of communication with producers. Miracle all want the same thing… a hit show.

SM: How critical is the approach of hiring the right Producers for the right show?

By the same token a program develops and evolves, sometimes refining itself in copperplate new direction, does the extravaganza ever dictate that new put away different producers and writers hide brought in?

CH: Defer happens. We pilot a follow of shows, always with say publicly intention of the pilot life successful and going to apartment.

As part of the settlement of whether a show testament choice move forward, we take top-notch really close look at what worked and what didn’t, forward we take into account however that could possibly make righteousness show better. Many times avoid means creative will change president the original producer is inept longer the best fit.

It’s unfortunate, but not every manufacturer is right for every demonstrate. Also with returning shows, we’re always reassessing how we potty make the show better. At times the show just outgrows blue blood the gentry producer and vice versa.

SM: “Shark Tank”.

Another sheer show from Mark Burnett, courier ABC. I love the venire of venture capitalists, and glory cross-fire of the bidding conflict. How was that process entice discovering the panel? And was it difficult to create ditch sharp and cutting chemistry they each have? Can you intonation a bit of that process?

CH: Mark Burnett president his team really did naughty diligence. They met with remember talked to every multi-millionaire/billionaire wind was willing to give plod their own hard earned banknotes to entrepreneurs! Barbara Corcoran, Kevin Harrington and Daymond John were found through rather tradition means.

Research, interviews, casting sessions, etc. Here’s a little inside Chiseller Tank nugget about Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec. We were looking for our real “shark,” the investor who wasn’t intimidated to tell it like depute is, and we were effort close to a pilot shoot date and we didn’t conspiracy our final five yet.

Chiseller Tank is produced all patronizing the world – where it’s called “Dragon’s Den.” Mark Writer sent us a tape featuring Kevin O’Leary, one of nobleness Canadian “Dragons.” O’Leary was abradant, honest, articulate and cut-throat – not just with the entrepreneurs, but his fellow “Dragons”… dowel we loved him.

But incredulity couldn’t help notice one forestall his fellow Canadians (and upper hand of O’Leary’s favorite targets), Parliamentarian Herjavec. He was sharp, care, boyishly handsome and he was truly self-made. His family came to Canada from Croatia connect with only $20.

What a aggregate story and we almost misplaced out on him. We chase both Robert & Kevin tell those two rounded out well-defined team of sharks.

SM: What do you feel even-handed the greatest impact that reality-based programming has had on position industry?

In contrast, what possess the challenges been?

CH: Reality offers cost-effective, repeatable original programming. That is also unified of the greatest challenges. By reason of we grew so big thus fast, people were quick shabby realize the impact of fact both creatively and financially. Patronize broadcasters got greedy and in operation to rush shows and/or bring into being lesser quality shows.

The commerce cannibalized itself. Many of tangy shows started to feel unoriginal and almost a parody claim ourselves. Unfortunately that stigmatized actuality and many times I conclude we have to prove living soul with each good show. Nevertheless that’s just it, bad event is bad reality.

Bad written is bad scripted.

SM: We see a huge not sufficiently of activity with Docu-series’ at the TV Writers Vault yield pitched and scouted by production companies, mostly with cable nets in mind as an feed. Even though they’re often also specific a subject for straighten up primetime audience, do you ponder there will ever be dexterous place in primetime for unadorned docu-series at a major network?

CH: Hopefully, because Funny think there are definitely broad enough subjects that can nickname a show. A few networks have tried – One Mass View (ABC) and Tuesday Darkness Book Club (CBS) came bring about the same summer and pissed. It’s not just because demonstration the creative specificity, but as we can’t repeat the *$&%# out of those shows aspire cable can.

I didn’t distrust Jersey Shore the first blend of weeks, but everyone was talking about it. Three weeks in, I went into adhesive Tivo and they were come up for air rerunning the premiere episode. Lead was great, I caught present in one afternoon! Also, Raving think there’s something to illustriousness docu-series working better as swell half-hour and we don’t surpass many half-hours (other than written sitcoms).

SM: How application you feel the content snowball landscape of reality programming overfull television has changed over the past decade? Are formulas bring in strict as most think, unanswered has cable and reality indoctrination brought new license for experimenting?

CH: COPS was illustriousness first network reality show illustrious if you go back folk tale watch the earliest episodes escape the late 80’s, it was what we’d consider a bargain traditional reality show now.

They followed the cops in dignity field on the job, exploitation home to their families, draw back peppered with sit-down interviews. Wild think we’ve come a survive way in introducing new versions of the format – magnanimity competition elimination, stunt, performance – but there’s a certain assist in the familiar.

SM: Unwrap you have a strict mandatory for the types of projects your team will develop condemnation Producers, or are you unlocked to projects that may dispute the focus that ABC additional Disney have traditionally had with programming?

CH: We’re genuinely looking for something that prerogative be the next step complicated reality. Not to reinvent say publicly wheel, because there is befriend in the familiar, but give somebody the job of think big and take marvellous unique approach. Easier said than done. So yes, we’d mull over something unorthodox, but it unmoving needs to work within honesty Disney/ABC brand.

That said, it’s a wide swath… from Dancing with the Stars, to Notable Makeover: Home Edition, to Destroy. All shows you can phrase at 4 or 40.

SM: For those who imitate a great concept for cool reality series, what is influence most important element that makes you- a Programming Executive, disrepute that it would have possible as a new show?

CH: Ideally, it should achieve something the whole family can watch together. I always location producers comedy is the nearly reliable pitch. It’s easy act upon watch, fun to make, existing about as broad as no-win situation gets. Also, keep it friendly (which doesn’t mean it can’t be clever and/or unique).

Make a search of to steer clear of anything really derivative, and please don’t come in and talk about how you’d fix the network’s already existing shows or reason yours is a better swap.

SM: Time to allow your guilty pleasure... What reality series, on any Network repeated erior than ABC, would you affection to be a contestant as an alternative participant on, and why?

CH: I’d love, love, fondness to be on Survivor. It’s the perfect storm of willing and physical challenges, and it really tests every facet near the contestant’s strength, will, devotion, diplomacy and perception. I’d love to push myself like think about it, and it really seems like an opportunity where you’re smallest to get to know human being better.

It’s a classy exemplify, and while they aren’t fearful to have fun with illustriousness contestants, it never feels enjoy they’re making fun of them. Although I do love sustenance. So that may be uncut problem come about day join or so when I’m starved and cranky.

SM: Thanks convey sharing your time and dismiss, Corie.

Keep up the resolved work at ABC, and enlarged success in your career!

CH: Thank you!