Darnell emerges at Warner Bros

Reality format mogul Mike Darnell is to join Warner Bros Television Group in a specially created role just two months after leaving US network Fox.

Darnell will become president of unscripted and alternative television at the company, where he will work with another ex-Fox employee, Warner Bros TV president Peter Roth.

Darnell’s brief will include oversight of first-run syndicated shows from Warner’s Telepictures Productions and unscripted primetime programmes from the firm’s Warner Horizon division.

Telepictures currently produces chatshow The Ellen DeGeneres Show and show business news programme TMZ, while Warner Horizon produces a range of reality series for US nets including NBC’s The Voice and ABC’s The Bachelor.

Darnell left his role as head of alternative programming at Fox in May, after an 18-year stint with company.

“When I decided to leave Fox two months ago, my hope was to be able to stretch my fingers beyond network television and into other distribution platforms. My first thought was to go into production for myself,” Darnell said.

“But then Peter Roth made me an offer I couldn’t refuse – the opportunity to develop new shows and run the vast array of alternative shows that Warner Bros already has going.”

During his time with Fox, Darnell became known as the mastermind behind a range of reality shows, including American Idol, The X Factor and So You Think You Can Dance.

Darnell, who was also credited with developing reality shows featuring chef Gordon Ramsay, worked alongside Roth, who was president at Fox Entertainment from 1996 to 1999.

Darnell, who starts his new role in August, will have Warner Horizon’s executive VP Craig Erwich reporting in to him, while Telepictures president Hilary Estey McLoughlin will step down to a producer role at the firm.