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Revision as of 18:49, 31 January 2012
Benjamin Silverman | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 15, 1970 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Tufts University |
| Occupation(s) | Founder & CEO, Electus |
Benjamin Noah "Ben" Silverman (born August 15, 1970) is the founder and CEO of Electus, a next generation entertainment studio staked by IAC's Barry Diller.
From 2007-2009, Silverman served as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.[1] He is also an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning executive producer of such shows as The Office, Ugly Betty, The Tudors, and The Biggest Loser.
Early life and career
Silverman was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to a Reform Jewish family.[2][3] Raised in Manhattan, Silverman is a 1992 magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University, where he majored in history. His mother, Mary Silverman, was a programming executive whose career included stints at the Disney Channel, BBC, USA Network, Lifetime Television, and Court TV.[4] His father Stanley Silverman is an award-winning music composer/arranger.[5]
Formerly, Silverman was in charge of the international packaging division at the William Morris Agency, where he was the company's youngest division head, packaging more than 25 television series, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Weakest Link, Big Brother, and Queer as Folk.[6] Prior to joining William Morris, he was vice-president for New World/Marvel Entertainment, and also held posts at CBS, and Warner Bros.
In 2007, Silverman received the P.T. Barnum Award from Tufts University for his exceptional work in the field of media and entertainment. Silverman is involved with multiple philanthropic endeavors, including Seeds of Peace, a group helping to foster peace among young people from adversarial cultures. In addition, Silverman sits on the Cedars-Sinai Hospital board of governors. Silverman also serves on the board of directors of Best Buddies, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing guidance and integrated employment.[7]
In 2008, Silverman received an Honorary Rose for lifetime achievement the Rose d'Or ceremony.[8] [9]
Reveille
Silverman is the founder of Reveille, a television, film, and theater production and distribution company now owned by Shine Limited under News Corporation. He founded Reveille in 2002 in order to exploit international formats by selling them in the United States. Through his work at Reveille, he is the executive producer of such shows as NBC's The Office, The Restaurant, The Biggest Loser, and ABC's Ugly Betty, as well as several cable shows, including Nashville Star, on USA Network, 30 Days on FX, MTV's Parental Control and Date My Mom, Blow Out on Bravo, and House of Boateng on the Sundance Channel.[10]
Journalist Michael Wolff wrote a 2001 profile of Silverman in New York Magazine a year before he founded Reveille. "In some sense, he's like those boy geniuses of the eighties and nineties who invented new financial instruments -- junk bonds and derivatives and whatnot. The discovery and marketing of a new format is really like that. It's creating something that is negotiable and transferable and that people believe in deeply -- it solves all their problems. Now, obviously, there is a certain obsolescence to these formats (with junk bonds you had inevitable bankruptcies). And Ben, of course, is already searching the world for new formats. Variety shows might be a possibility," Wolff wrote.[11]
NBC
Silverman was chosen as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment in 2007 (along with Marc Graboff), replacing Kevin Reilly. That same year, Silverman was the first producer since Norman Lear, 34 years earlier, to have two shows nominated for an Emmy in the best comedy category (The Office and Ugly Betty).[12] When Silverman came to the network, NBC was experiencing a ratings low, finishing in fourth place of the four major networks after losing huge hits like Friends, The West Wing, and Seinfeld.[13]
Silverman was also credited for playing a major role in saving the critically acclaimed NBC drama Friday Night Lights by striking an innovative deal with DirecTV.[14] The satellite television provider agreed to take on a substantial amount of the show's production budget in exchange for exclusive first window airing rights on their 101 channel. NBC would then repurpose the episodes to be aired on the network later in the season.[15]
Electus
On July 27, 2009, Silverman announced that he was leaving NBC to form a new company, Electus, with Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp that will produce and distribute programs across media platforms, for television, the Web or mobile devices.[16] The new venture will expand upon Silverman's experience bringing advertisers into the content development process, creating what Silverman calls "a new form of advertising network in coordination with the traditional and the new-media outlets".[17]
Since Electus’ launch, the company has announced several acquisitions and partnerships. In January, 2010, Silverman and Electus partnered with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett to launch their sponsor-driven advertising and digital production company DumbDumb. Electus will help partner advertisers with the duo to develop brand-inspired short and long form programming for distribution across all forms of social, digital, and traditional media. [18]
In January, 2011, Electus announced the acquisition of Engine Entertainment and the formation of a new in-house global distribution arm, Electus/Engine Distribution. The new division will handle both in-house and third-party projects for distribution globally. [19]
Electus also has current partnerships with 5x5 and DiGa.
Acting roles
Silverman had a cameo appearance in the first episode of the fifth season of the television show Entourage. Silverman read a single line in which he expressed annoyance at Johnny Drama wasting his time.
Other works
| Year | Production | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Restaurant | executive producer |
| 2003 | Nashville Star | executive producer |
| 2005–2008 | 30 Days | executive producer |
| 2005–2011 | The Office | executive producer |
| 2005–2011 | The Biggest Loser | co-creator and executive producer |
| 2006–2011 | Ugly Betty | executive producer |
| 2007–2010 | The Tudors | co-creator and executive producer |
| 2008–2009 | Kath & Kim | executive producer |
| 2010 | MacGruber | co-executive producer |
| 2011–present | Mob Wives | executive producer |
References
- ^ Josef Adalian. "Silverman named NBC co-chair," Variety, May 29, 2007.
- ^ Malone, Michael. Silverman Searches Globe for Next Trend, Broadcasting & Cable, November 14, 2005.
- ^ Berrin, Danielle (2009-07-27). "NBC chair Ben Silverman resigns". JewishJournal. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
- ^ Brady, Shirley (2007-05-30). "How Ben Silverman Got Started". Cable360. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
- ^ "Stanley Silverman". Stanley Silverman. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
- ^ NATPE Speaker Bio, 2006
- ^ "Ben Silverman: The Washington Scene," The Hill.
- ^ "Rose d'Or Winners 2008" (PDF). Rose d'Or AG. 2008-05-06. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-30. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- ^ "Blighty plucks Roses".
- ^ "The Whole World Is Watching, and Ben Silverman Is Watching Back", New York Times, September 17, 2006.
- ^ "The Missing Link", New York Magazine, June 4, 2001.
- ^ "Silverman the peacock at NBC-Uni's pre-Emmy party"
- ^ Esquire Magazine "It's Ten O'Clock. Do You Know Where Your Network President Is?". 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Ben Silverman, 'Friday Night Lights' Savior: Saved Show By 'Yelling At A Lot Of People'"
- ^ "'Friday Night Lights' Gets 26-Episode Order From DirecTV, NBC"
- ^ Thomasch, Paul (2009-07-27). "NBC executive Silverman exits for IAC venture". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
- ^ Orden, Erica (2009-08-23). "The City's Most Important Recent Hires - Fall Preview 2009 - New York Magazine". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
- ^ "Bateman, Arnett Form DumbDumb" Variety
- ^ "IAC's Electus Acquires Engine Entertainment" Media Post