Film and TV studio Fifth Season has promoted Sheridan Thayer to executive vice president and head of television physical production, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. The company (formerly named Endeavor Content) has additionally hired Deitch Jones from Netflix as vice president of television development and production.
Fifth Season is the studio behind Apple TV+ hit Severance; Thayer contributed to that one in her former role as senior vice president and deputy head of television production. She’ll continue reporting to Todd Sharp, Fifth Season’s president of production and current; Deitch will report to Jill Arthur and Noah Greenshner, executive vice presidents of television development and production.
“Sheridan’s advancement reflects the exceptional impact she has had on Fifth Season’s television division over the past few years,” Sharp told THR. “I’ve been fortunate to work alongside her during multiple stages of her career, so I know firsthand her quality and the breadth of experience she brings to her work, having run productions of all budgets, all around the globe. She is a powerful asset to Fifth Season, and her expanded role will make her even more so as we continue our strong momentum in television.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Lauren to Fifth Season,” Arthur and Greenshner said. “She’s a fantastic executive with plenty of television development and production experience at the highest level. We know she’ll be a valuable addition to our efforts to build out a premier television slate for global audiences.”
Thayer and Deitch will expand an original production slate that includes Chief of War, created and led by Jason Momoa, and The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Matthew Heineman — both for Apple TV+. For Netflix, there’s His & Hers starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, and East of Eden, starring Florence Pugh and based on John Steinbeck’s iconic classic. Severance continues for a third season and Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers starring Nicole Kidman is en route to a second season.
Thayer is a three-decade veteran of television and film. She previously spent six years with Legendary Entertainment and was at one time the vice president of production for TV Land. Thayer has produced or co-produced several hit series, including the eight-time Emmy winner Monk. She is a General Fellowship Mentor for Women in Film and a longtime member of The Women’s Production Society.
At Netflix, Deitch managed the development and production of a slate of more than 20 original drama series. Previously, she served as a creative television and film executive at Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gloria Sanchez Productions. Deitch began her career in UTA’s television literary department.
Fifth Season is also the studio behind 80 for Brady and Tokyo Vice. It has production hubs across North America, Europe and Asia, and distributes Killing Eve, The Morning Show, and The Night Manager internationally. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, New York and London, with offices worldwide. Shareholders include CJ ENM, Toho and Endeavor.