eOne boosts alternative with reality vet

Transatlantic producer and distributor Entertainment One (eOne) is expanding its alternative programming team, including the appointment of a veteran reality producer.

Mark Herwick becomes head of current for US alternative programming, and will work closely with Tara Long, eOne’s exec VP of US alternative programming, to oversee and provide creative direction for the firm’s unscripted projects.

Herwick, who was most recently exec producer and showrunner on E!’s Botched, will also manage and develop relationships with networks and talent. He created and exec produced Disney’s hidden-camera show Code: 9 and has also worked on The Linda Perry Project for VH1, My Cat from Hell for Animal Planet and My Big Fat Revenge for Oxygen.

Meanwhile, Ben Megargel joins as senior director of development, Jesse Daniels becomes director of development and Elliot Schwartz is promoted from associate producer to manager of development.

Megargel joins from Karga Seven Pictures, where he was director of development and worked on shows including Investigation Discovery’s Cry Wolfe and Weather Channel’s Tornado Alley and Natural Born Monsters.

Daniels, who was most recently manager of development at All3Media’s Maverick TV, has been behind shows for Fox, MTV and Syfy, among others, and previously worked at Hearst and Mark Burnett Productions-owned One Three Media.

eOne Television, which is attempting to double in size over the next five years, launched its US-based alternative programming division in 2012 and has been behind shows including Nellyville for BET, Mary Mary for WeTV and Chill for TruTV.