After 20 years working for Paramount, Keith Cox, the president of Showtime/MTV Entertainment, will be departing the company, TheWrap has learned. President of Paramount Television Studios Matt Thunell announced the news to staff on Thursday.
Cox made the decision to move on from the company. The network head was an early champion of Taylor Sheridan and helped bring him to Paramount Network. He also helped expand Sheridan’s roster of shows, which includes “Yellowstone,” “Landman,” “1883,” “1923,” “Tulsa King,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Lioness,” “The Madison,” “Marshals” and the upcoming “Dutton Ranch.
Cox was also instrumental in launching Jez Butterworth’s slate of Paramount+ shows, which includes “MobLand” and “The Agency.” Earlier in his career, he helped develop and launch “Hot in Cleveland” and Darren Star’s “Younger” on TV Land, as well as “Emily in Paris” on Netflix. He has been a longtime collaborator with David Glasser and 101 Studios.
“Keith is a respected leader and has been an incredible partner to both Dana [Goldberg] and me from our first days at Paramount. We are grateful for his leadership, collaboration and the impact he has had on our teams, creative partners and franchises,” Thunell wrote in a memo to Paramount staff that was obtained by TheWrap. “Please join me in thanking Keith for his many contributions. We wish you the best and will miss you deeply!”
Over the next few weeks, Cox will help plan the transition alongside his direct reports, Vice President of Paramount Television Studios Antonia Covault and Vice President of Paramount Television Studios Todd Baynes. Covault and Baynes will transition to the Current team and report to Carolyn Harris, executive vice president and head of Current.
“Getting the opportunity to identify, develop and produce these shows with creators like Darren, Taylor and Jez is what has made this chapter of my career so fulfilling. But equally fulfilling has been working closely with my creative partners Antonia Covault and Todd Baynes, who have been on this journey with me since the beginning, and who I know will continue to shepherd these shows moving forward,” Cox wrote in a memo to staff. “I’m incredibly confident that with Dana and Matt at the studio and Cindy [Holland], Jane [Wiseman] and Chris [Parnell] at Paramount+, these shows and franchises will continue to thrive. They care deeply about the work, the creators and the audiences.”
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