Former UPN programming VP Ron Taylor has joined Spelling TV as the new senior vice president of development.
Taylor ankled UPN in November after the new management team took over and split the programming department into current and development, as well as comedy and drama teams (Daily Variety, Nov. 3, 1997).
In a somewhat odd twist, Taylor essentially has replaced former Spelling series development VP Maira Suro, who joined UPN as the head of drama development at about the same time Taylor left.
In his new post, Taylor will report to Spelling TV president Jonathan Levin and will oversee all aspects of development for TV series and movies of the week.
Spelling now has two pilots for fall at CBS, two at the WB netlet, and one at NBC called "Odd Jobs," which stars Patrick Dempsey ("Can't Buy Me Love") and was penned by "Pulp Fiction" co-writer Roger Avary.
While at UPN, Taylor helped develop the series "Malcolm & Eddie" and "The Sentinel," and he supervised "In the House," "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Moesha."
Prior to UPN, he was a freelance writer who penned episodes for several series, including Paramount Domestic TV's "Viper." As an executive producer at Warner Bros., he worked with Martha Coolidge, Luis Valdez and John Wells.
Before he started writing and producing, he was veep of drama development at Warner Bros., a VP of current programs at ABC and a VP of drama at MGM.
"It's fair to say that Aaron Spelling taught me a lot when I was at ABC, and I hope I can give something back," Taylor said of his new post.
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