Kara Smith promoted, three execs out as Friedlander continues Amazon shake-up

Peter Friedlander has revealed another major restructure of the scripted television department at Amazon MGM Studios, with three execs leaving and Kara Smith being promoted to head of drama.

Peter Friedlander

Friedlander, head of global television, announced in an internal memo that the company is implementing a new creative leadership structure focused on three areas: drama, comedy and young-adult (YA) scripted television.

Smith, who previously served as the head of coproduction drama, comedy development and current series, will now focus solely on drama, while the head of comedy and YA roles have not yet been filled.

Over a seven-year tenure with Amazon, Smith has worked on key Prime Video titles including The Summer I Turned Pretty, Reacher and Mr & Mrs Smith, in addition to forthcoming titles like Blade Runner 2099 and The Challenge.

Friedlander said Smith’s “deep creative instincts, relationships across the industry, and track record of developing standout series” will make her “the ideal leader to build our drama slate.”

The new structure will see the departure of Jen Chambers, who led first-look and overall deals; Michael McDonald, who led the development teams for wholly owned comedy, drama and YA series; and Odetta Watkins, who oversaw current drama shows.

The news comes after Friedlander instituted another fairly major executive reshuffle in late January, with ex-Netflix exec Blair Fetter joining as head of worldbuilding and genre studios while Laura Lancaster and Nick Pepper left.

Earlier in January, Friedlander, who joined Amazon MGM Studios in October, named Jenn Levy as head of unscripted and documentary television.

On Wednesday, Friedlander said his creative leadership team and structure is nearly complete, with Smith (drama), Fetter (worldbuilding), Levy (non-fiction) and Melissa Wolfe (animation) overseeing their respective areas and just two more appointments needed for comedy and YA.

Friedlander described the new structure as a “flatter approach that prioritises clarity and speed to nurture creativity.”

He added in his memo: “While we’re mindful of the personal impact of this transition, we remain committed to ensuring seamless continuity for our shows and the talent behind them. I recognise this year has brought a lot of change to our organisation.

“I appreciate the patience, professionalism, and commitment each of you has shown through this transition – it hasn’t gone unnoticed. I’m confident we’re building something strong together, and I look forward to the work ahead.”