Bryan O’Connell, Experienced Industry Executive, Joins The Jim Henson Company as Vice President of Children’s Television
The Jim Henson Company, established global leader in family entertainment, has brought on Bryan O’Connell as Vice President of Children’s Television. The seasoned executive, who most recently served as Director of Development at Disney Jr., will oversee the creative development of a robust slate of children’s animated and live-action shows including The Kissing Hand and Monster Mix, as well as reboots of Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train. The announcement was made today by Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company, to whom O’Connell reports.
O’Connell joins the Company’s Creative Affairs team which includes Tara Billik (Vice President of Feature Films), Delaney Shiokari (Vice President of Primetime Television), and Tim O’Brien (Production Executive), as well as in-house producers John Tartaglia (Creative Supervisor for Fraggle Rock) and Halle Stanford (Co-Creator of the upcoming Wowsabout). Brian Henson and Vince Raisa from Brian Henson Productions also continue to develop their slate of film and television productions for The Jim Henson Company.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Bryan over several years. It is clear he has a deep understanding of and respect for creating engaging and entertaining content for children. Whether it be wholly new worlds yet to be discovered, or the beloved legacy worlds our audiences know and love, Bryan will be managing an ambitious and exciting slate of shows for our next generation of fans,” said Lisa Henson.
Bryan O’Connell said, “As a longtime admirer of The Jim Henson Company and its iconic properties, I have appreciated the Company’s universal appeal and enduring productions that have spanned generations. Stepping into this new role, I am grateful for the opportunity to develop a slate of live action and animated children’s projects, drawing from a global community of creators and artists that share my commitment to continue and expand this legacy of creating entertaining and impactful content for kids around the world.”
Prior to his new role at The Jim Henson Company, O’Connell spent ten years at The Walt Disney Company, working in Disney Television Animation, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. For the last three years, he served as Director, Development at Disney Jr. overseeing the creative development of multiple shows, shorts, and specials for the preschool brand, as well as working with Disney’s franchise team to expand properties into consumer products programs and live experiences. Previous experience also includes stints at Silvergate Media, Sprout, Illumination, DreamWorks, and Sesame Workshop.
About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for 70 years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. The Company’s most recent credits include Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip, starring Eva Longoria and Cheech Marin for Disney+, the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, and the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV+. Other television credits include Slumberkins and Harriet the Spy for Apple TV+; Dinosaur Train, Splash and Bubbles, and Sid the Science Kid all for PBS; Earth to Ned for Disney+; and Word Party and the Emmy-winning series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, both for Netflix. Iconic catalogue titles include Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller, the sci-fi series Farscape, and the ground-breaking fantasy classics The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional locations in New York and London, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent puppet and creature-building group and industry leader in puppeteered digital animation, with international film, television, theme park, and advertising clients.
CONTACT
Nicole Goldman
The Jim Henson Company
[email protected]
