Former head of CBS Studios drama development and CBS All Access programming Julie McNamara is returning to the fold, partnering with one of the studio’s top writer-producers, Matlock creator/executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman. McNamara has joined Urman’s CBS Studios-based Sutton St. Productions as a partner. The duo will develop series for broadcast and streaming under Urman’s overall deal with CBS Studios, which was recently renewed.
McNamara, who was most recently VP, head of global podcast studios at Spotify, succeeds Joanna Klein who had been Urman’s partner since Sutton St. Productions’ 2018 launch. She left the company earlier this year but will remain an executive producer on CBS/CBS Studios’ Matlock, which is headed to Season 2.
This marks a reunion for McNamara and CBS President David Stapf. McNamara spent 10 years at the studio, rising to EVP and head of drama development, before she segued in 2016 to the then-newly created position of EVP Original Content for Paramount+ predecessor CBS All Access, spearheading its original programming until her 2021 exit. In both roles, she worked closely with Stapf; the two have been friends for many years.
At CBS Studios, McNamara also worked with Urman, overseeing development of her CW series Jane the Virgin and the Charmed reboot.
CBS Studios has has a tight-knit team with little turnover under Stapf. Bryan Seabury, who succeeded McNamara as head of drama in 2016, continues to lead the studio’s drama team; Kate Adler who ran comedy at the time, continues to do so.
“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,” said Urman, who has been under overall deals at CBS Studios since 2012. “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.”
In addition to CBS breakout Matlock starring Kathy Bates, Jane the Virgin and Charmed, Urman created the CW/CBS Studios series Emily Owens, MD.
As VP, head of global podcast studios at Spotify from 2021-24, McNamara oversaw Spotify’s portfolio of in-house productions and licensed podcasts, working with the likes of Alex Cooper, Dax Shepard, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peele, Trevor Noah and more.
During her CBS Studios/CBS All Access tenure, McNamara shepherded the development and launch of Blue Bloods, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and The Good Wife among other series. Prior to that, as VP of drama development for ABC, she worked on the development of Grey’s Anatomy and Lost.
“Jennie and Julie have been a beloved part of our CBS Studios family for years,” Stapf said. “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.”