Jennifer Howell, head of 20th Century Fox TV‘s animation department, is leaving the studio to pursue other opportunities. I hear her contract is up in May and is not being renewed. Howell has headed the department since 20th TV created it in 2008. The series developed on her watch include Fox’s Bob’s Burgers, the recently picked up Murder Police as well as Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory. 20th Century Fox TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman are expected to find a replacement.
Additionally, Howell ran the joint Fox/20th TV Fox Inkubation initiative focused on breaking new animation talent by evaluating potential toon series through fully-formed 2-minute shorts rather than by traditional script development. The program, also started in 2008, developed a number of projects though none got on the air. It was dissolved last year. ...
Ms. Howell appears to have had a so-so batting average at FA.
Bob's Burgers remains on the air, but Fox Inkubation initiative sounds as though it was a short-lived clone of Fred Seibert's animation development programs at Hanna-Barbera and Nick, (wherein a lot of pitches are made, then a lot of shorts produced ... with all of them making their way to broadcast and the pick of the litter going on to series.)
But apparently sufficient cartoon triumphs did not happen, and Jennifer will be moving on. We wish her well with her future endeavors.
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