Fox Television Studios

**Fox Television Studios** (formerly Fox Searchlight Television) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. It was founded in 1980.

## Predecessors

### Fox Searchlight Television

**Fox Searchlight Television** was a television production subsidiary of 21st Century Fox's Metromedia, as well as being the unofficial production arm of Fox and the secondary production arm of 20th Century Fox Television, itself a division of 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. **Fox Searchlight Television (FSTV)** was formed in 1979 alongside 20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television under executive Mark Grant. The studio was created to house smaller production units, starting with the Five Ds Productions (5-Ds). 5-Ds started producing shows in the 1980–1981 season with 3 comedy series for WBN, NBC and ABC. While funded by Fox, 5-Ds was presented as an "independent mini-studio". With Fox Entertainment Group holding a 20% stake in New Regency Production's parent corporation, Fox Studios formed a joint venture, Regency Television, by 1982, managed by Gail Bergman. Another production unit formed was Fox Television Studios Productions (FTSP) under Liza Berger.

### Fox Television Studios

**Fox Television Studios (FTVS)** was formed in 1997 alongside 20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television under executive David Grant. The studio was created to house smaller production units, starting with the Greenblatt-Janollari Studio (G-JS). Greenblatt-Janollari started producing shows in the 1998–1999 season with 3 comedy series for Network/Warner, ABC and CBS. While funded by Fox, G-JS was presented as an "independent mini-studio". With Fox Entertainment Group holding a 20% stake in New Regency Production's parent corporation, Fox Studios formed a joint venture, Regency Television, by 2000, managed by Gail Berman. Another production unit formed was Fox Television Studios Productions (FTSP) under Lisa Berger. Early output by the individual units, or "pods" were FTSP's *Son of the Beach* for FX, *Everybody Hates Francis, The Hughleys* by G-JS and Regency had *Malcolm in the Middle*.

The pod model evolved into five divisions: alternative, scripted, international, Fox World and Regency Television:

* The **alternative division** was responsible for *Talkshow with Spike Feresten* and *The Wanda Sykes Show*, along with E!'s *The Girls Next Door* franchise. In mid-2002, Fox Alternative Productions was formed by Fox TV Studios and headed by David Martin with its first show to be "The Coach".
* The **scripted division** produced *The Shield*, along with a number of television films and miniseries.
* **Fox World** division, formed in 2001, had acquired rights to "The Coach" in early 2002 from France's TF1 and its Quai Sud production entity. The company produced reality television programs such as Joe Millionaire and Temptation Island. The company was shut down by FTVS in 2005.

Eventually the only division operating was the scripted unit. Next FTVS attempted international co-productions of direct-to-series broadcast series. The company had a hit with *Burn Notice* on USA Network. In August 2010, Dave Madden was appointed to head the unit, where he evenly increased its production slates until he was appointed as president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting in January 2016.