Following a major reorg in October that “streamlined” content teams and consolidated various departments, Netflix has tapped a seasoned executive as its new head of comedy.
Tracey Pakosta, NBCUniversal’s co-head of scripted programming, is joining the streamer in a position where she’ll oversee all comedy originals, including stand-up, per The Hollywood Reporter. (Stand-up was previously overseen by Netflix’s head of unscripted, Brandon Reigg, but was folded into the main comedy team during the restructure.)
Pakosta is taking over from Andy Weil, Netflix’s VP of comedy; he was named interim head after former comedy lead Jane Wiseman left in October. She’ll report to Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s recently installed VP of global television.
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“I’ve spent many hours watching as a fan, and now I am incredibly excited to join Bela and the Netflix original series team,” Pakosta said in a statement. “Comedy is my favorite playground, and I can’t wait to partner with all of the like-minded creators to make people laugh–we really need it!”
During her time at NBCUniversal, Pakosta was involved in numerous popular series, including The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (per THR, she was “instrumental” in bringing it back on air after its unceremonious cancellation), Parks and Recreation, and The Mindy Project. She also developed upcoming big-name shows like Dwayne Johnson’s Young Rock, Kenan Thompson’s The Kenan Show, and Mr. Mayor, starring The Good Place’s Ted Danson.
At Netflix, she’ll lead current and new programs, including scripted shows and movies, adult animation, and live-action family comedies.
