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In a significant restructuring move, Disney is closing down ABC Signature and integrating its operations into 20th Television. This shift, which has been in the works for six years, sees ABC Signature’s functions absorbed under the leadership of 20th Television President Karey Burke. Additionally, Disney has combined the ABC and Hulu Originals scripted drama and comedy teams, placing them under the purview of Simran Sethi, who has been promoted to President, Scripted Programming, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment.

As part of the restructuring, Tracy Underwood will step down as President of ABC Signature. She will transition into an overall producing deal with Disney Television Studios. Erin Wehrenberg, ABC’s Senior Vice President and Head of Comedy, will also leave her position. This new structure impacts approximately 30 employees across Disney Entertainment Television, with staff being divided evenly between ABC Signature and 20th Television.

The consolidation marks the end of ABC Signature and leaves Disney Television Studios with two main studios: 20th Television and 20th Animation. In her extended role, Karey Burke, who marks her 10-year anniversary with Disney, will continue to helm 20th Television, a studio that has enjoyed significant success under her leadership, producing hits like "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Dropout" for Hulu, and "The Old Man" for FX/Hulu.

Jordan Helman, previously Hulu’s Head of Scripted Content, will take on additional responsibilities for broadcast drama as Executive Vice President, Drama, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, reporting to Sethi. Meanwhile, ABC’s Senior Vice President and Head of Drama, Brianna Bennett, will now report to Helman. With Wehrenberg's departure and Hulu's Head of Comedy role vacant since May, the merged comedy team will temporarily report to Sethi.

The consolidation comes amidst recurring rounds of layoffs and business streamlining across media companies. This latest move follows similar industry trends, such as Paramount TV Studios ceasing operations and CBS Studios absorbing its projects. Previously, ABC Studios and its subsidiary ABC Signature were merged in August 2020, and Touchstone Television was folded into 20th Television in December the same year.

The integration of Hulu and ABC’s scripted teams mirrors similar strategies by other companies like NBCUniversal, which has merged scripted programming teams for NBC, its cable networks, and Peacock. The unified structure aims to create a more streamlined process for content creation and distribution, maximizing the potential for hits across both streaming and linear platforms.