Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts is joining her fellow co-host, George Stephanopoulos, in getting a standalone production unit within ABC News Studios.
Roberts’ new unit, announced on Tuesday, will produce a wide range of original, narrative nonfiction projects, including specials, nonfiction series, and documentaries for ABC, Hulu, and Disney+. It will actively commission and develop projects across multiple genres and formats that are a natural extension of Roberts’ background covering pop culture, newsmakers, and world events over her decades-long career in TV journalism.
“Robin Roberts’ career is a masterclass in powerful storytelling that, over the years, has left an indelible mark on ABC News and people around the world,” said ABC News President Kim Godwin. “This dedicated ABC News Studios production unit will make it possible for Robin to seamlessly produce more premium, original content about extraordinary people and places like only Robin can.”
Roberts added, “I’m thrilled to now have a home within ABC News Studios to produce projects I really care about. This production team will be focused on heartfelt storytelling that reveals the mosaic of humanity.”
ABC News Studios announced the team that will be running the new unit, which includes Jonathan Blakely, who will serve as executive producer, reporting directly to ABC News Studios chief Mike Kelley. Blakely was most recently at CBS News, where he helped launch and executive produce 60 Minutes+.
Katie Conway was named senior producer for the unit overseeing development and production from Los Angeles. Danielle Genet was named a producer, and Kayla Simmons joined as a production coordinator.
The first project to debut out of this new venture is a one-hour primetime special edition of 20/20, titled Kerry Washington: Thicker Than Water – A Conversation with Robin Roberts. It debuts Sunday, Sept. 24, at 10 p.m. ET ABC, next day on Hulu.
For the special, Roberts sat down with the actor, director, and producer for a network exclusive interview ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, Thicker Than Water.
The creation establishes a dedicated team within ABC News Studios committed to those stories. This new unit expands Roberts’ current production portfolio, including Rock’n Robin Productions ― the full-service production company which launched in 2014.