Head of scripted Amy Israel set to exit Paramount Global’s Showtime

Amy Israel is exiting her post as Showtime’s head of scripted programming, becoming the latest in a string of senior execs to leave the Paramount Global-owned entity over the past year.

Amy Israel

Israel, who joined Showtime as senior VP of originals more than a decade ago, officially stepped down from the role yesterday but will remain in an advisory capacity until the end of the year.

Showtime has undergone restructuring and lay-offs over the past year as the Showtime brand has been integrated into Paramount+ in the US across both streaming and linear.

Internally, the Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios teams were also merged, and Showtime’s co-presidents of entertainment Jana Winograde and Gary Levine stepped down from their roles. Winograde left the company, while Levine shifted into a role as senior creative advisor.

Those moves followed the departure of former Showtime boss David Nevins, who left towards the end of last year. Nevins has since resurfaced in a new position as CEO of Peter Chernin’s international studio The North Road Company.

During her time at Showtime, Israel worked on shows including Billions, Yellowjackets and the TV adaptation of video game franchise Halo, as well as upcoming series The Curse and Fellow Travelers.

“Amy’s passion for the craft, her flair for pushing creative boundaries and commitment to excellence have left an indelible mark on Showtime,” said an internal memo from Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks, and Nina Diaz, chief creative officer and president of content at Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios.