EXCLUSIVE: The Jim Henson Company has brought on Bryan O’Connell as Vice President of Children’s Television.
Most recently serving as Director of Development at Disney Jr., to cap off a 10-year run at The Walt Disney Company, O’Connell will oversee the creative development of a robust slate of children’s animated and live-action shows including The Kissing Hand and Monster Mix, as well as reboots of educational animated series Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train.
Reporting to CEO Lisa Henson, O’Connell joins the company’s Creative Affairs team, which includes Tara Billik (Vice President of Feature Films), Delaney Shiokari (Vice President of Primetime Television), and Tim O’Brien (Production Executive), as well as in-house producers John Tartaglia (Creative Supervisor for Fraggle Rock) and Halle Stanford (co-creator of the upcoming Wowsabout). Brian Henson and Vince Raisa from Brian Henson Productions also continue to develop their slate of film and TV projects for the company.
After having “the pleasure of working with Bryan over several years,” Henson told us, “It is clear he has a deep understanding of and respect for creating engaging and entertaining content for children. Whether it be wholly new worlds yet to be discovered, or the beloved legacy worlds our audiences know and love, Bryan will be managing an ambitious and exciting slate of shows for our next generation of fans.”
“As a longtime admirer of The Jim Henson Company and its iconic properties,” shared O’Connell, “I have appreciated the Company’s universal appeal and enduring productions that have spanned generations. Stepping into this new role, I am grateful for the opportunity to develop a slate of live action and animated children’s projects, drawing from a global community of creators and artists that share my commitment to continue and expand this legacy of creating entertaining and impactful content for kids around the world.”
O’Connell’s decade at Disney saw him working within Disney Television Animation, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. In his final three years at Disney Jr., he oversaw the creative development of multiple shows, shorts, and specials for the preschool brand, while working with Disney’s franchise team to expand properties into consumer products programs and live experiences. Previously, the exec also did stints at Silvergate Media, Sprout, Illumination, DreamWorks, and Sesame Workshop.
A leader in family entertainment for seven decades, The Jim Henson Company segued its longtime President of Television, Halle Stanford, to a producing deal earlier this year, as we were first to report. Recent output from the company has included Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip for Disney+, the Oscar-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, and the Emmy-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV+.
