Showtime’s Amy Israel to head TV at Peter Chernin’s North Road Company

Peter Chernin’s US-based studio The North Road Company has hired former Showtime exec Amy Israel as its president of television.

Amy Israel

The move reunites Israel with former Showtime boss David Nevins, who was appointed as CEO of North Road over the summer.

In the new role, Israel will oversee all aspects of scripted television development and production across North Road’s international portfolio, reporting to Nevins.

Her remit will include oversight of TV production for Karga Seven Pictures, the Turkish scripted producer recently acquired by North Road, and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, in which North Road has a minority stake.

Israel’s exit from Showtime, where she served as head of scripted programming, was revealed at the end of September. At the time, Showtime said she would remain in an advisory capacity until the end of the year.

During a 12-year run at the Paramount Global-owned entity, Israel worked on series including Billions, Yellowjackets and the TV adaptation of video game franchise Halo, as well as upcoming series The Curse and Fellow Travelers.

North Road launched in the summer of 2022 with around US$800m in capital investments and later secured a US$150m investment from the Qatar Investment Authority.

North Road said it has more than 85 active productions in the works, including the upcoming Apple TV+ historical drama Chief of War, co-created by and starring Jason Momoa; limited series The Madness for Netflix; basketball film Rez Ball, also for Netflix; and a raft of unscripted productions, including the slate of titles produced by Kinetic Content such as reality franchises Love Is Blind and The Ultimatum for Netflix.

“Amy is among the best in the business, the driving force behind a long list of the most impactful shows in our time. I know first-hand the value of her unique combination of creative leadership and producorial drive, and I am fully confident she will make a fantastic addition to North Road’s leadership and the ongoing expansion of our industry-leading content portfolio,” said Nevins.

Israel added: “As the industry continues to evolve, I remain passionate in my advocacy for artists and protecting their visions. I cannot wait to bring even more extraordinary storytellers, both established and emerging, into the North Road fold, leveraging both its artist-friendly model and the unique resources it offers creative partners to create world-class television.”