From Wizards to Pop Stars to Vampires: Meet Jenna, Bringing Iconic Disney Channel Shows to Life
Meet Jenna, Senior Vice President, Live Action Development at Disney Branded Television (DBT)! In her role, she leads a team of creative executives to oversee a scripted slate of projects for kids, teens and young adults for Disney+ and Disney Channel.
“Our goal is to create culture-defining stories for the next generation of Disney fans,” Jenna shared.
Want to know what it’s like bringing the newest Disney Channel shows to life? We asked Jenna a few questions about her role and the process behind shows like Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Electric Bloom and Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.
1. Tell us about your role and responsibilities!
Day-to-day, my team meets with writers, hears pitches and weighs them against our overall strategy. After selecting a pitch, we creatively guide the project from the story outline through multiple script drafts. Once the scripts are in excellent shape, my team partners with Disney Branded Television to curate and creatively oversee a smaller group of pilots. During the pilot process, we closely collaborate with Disney’s industry-leading business affairs, casting, production and music teams to support the writers, directors and producers. Finally, my team works with Disney Entertainment leaders to determine which series from the group of pilots will join the legacy of Disney hits that have defined many childhoods. Then, we get to do it all over again!
2. Disney has a long legacy of generation-defining sitcoms. How are you approaching this format in a fresh way for today’s kids, and why do you think it continues to resonate?
In the age of streaming, a lot has evolved, while much has stayed the same. When it comes to the classic sitcom, we know audiences find comfort in the iconic characters, friendships and families that a great show provides. This will always hold true. A great sitcom is a mirror to your life, and in our case, it’s the “magic mirror”– your life with an aspirational twist. Here is where streaming has changed the game a bit: gone are the days when audiences could pop into any episode at any time and get the same experience. On Disney+, a new audience member will almost always start the show on the first episode, and that episode takes them to the next one, and on and on. Then, it’s most likely that the audience finishes the first batch of episodes (or season) and will come back for the next batch of episodes. Therefore, our sitcoms need to be more serialized, with some cliffhangers and soapy storytelling, all while retaining their inherent comedic drivers and family/found-family themes.
I’m incredibly proud of the work our team has done on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Electric Bloom and Vampirina: Teenage Vampire. Our writers and producers really adapted to this new way of sitcom storytelling and delivered funny, heartwarming and bingeable shows that we believe will bring joy to our audiences for seasons to come.
3. Wizards of Waverly Place was a huge success and is beloved by fans around the world. From a development standpoint, what was your approach to reviving such an iconic show for a new generation?
In addition to the above answer, it was important that we passed the wand from Selena Gomez (Alex Russo) to Janice LeAnn Brown (Billie) in the most seamless way. The original Wizards of Waverly Place gave us a sitcom anti-hero in Alex. She was a rebel with a sharp wit, but she loved her family. And we always knew that even when she messed up, as she often did, the Russos always have each other's backs. We knew these elements were crucial to setting up the reboot for success. Thankfully, we have David Henrie and Selena Gomez, who are executive producers and on-screen talent, to anchor the show and bring those Russo family values to the forefront, while inviting Billie in to make mistakes and feel the love and support only the Russos can provide.
4. What makes a show like Electric Bloom stand out in development, and what are you most excited for audiences to see?
The music! The ride or die friendship! These actresses! Our incredible team of creators gave voices to these iconic characters with some of the funniest, character-specific dialogue. Finally, this show has so much heart. We’ve wrapped a pop music explosion in a big, giant hug. Electric Bloom is the Hannah Montana for this generation.
5. We’d also love to hear about your experience working on Vampirina: Teenage Vampire! What was the development process for translating this iconic Disney Jr. character to a live-action, multi-cam series?
It was incredibly rewarding to adapt a beloved Disney Jr. character into a teenage vampire. We had so many great elements to work with and an incredible collaboration of writers! Ultimately, we wanted to tell the story of a girl with a big dream and some big obstacles in achieving that dream. What I admire most about Vee is that she is so brave. In the world of our show, vampires fear humans, and for good reason. After all, the Van Helsing family has been hunting vampires for generations, and now she’s at boarding school with one. Despite the danger, Vee believes that if the world heard her sing and got to know her, she and other outsiders could find acceptance.
6. What is your proudest moment from developing Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Vampirina: Teenage Vampire and/or Electric Bloom?
I’ve been at Disney for two years now and we moved fast! I’m really proud of my team, our cross-functional partners and the incredible writers that rose to the challenge of telling serialized, funny, heartwarming stories for the streaming generation. It required a lot of digging in, tough decisions and a commitment to making sure that the first episode is creatively excellent and only gets better from there. Our teams are firing on all cylinders, and I can’t wait to see the next wave of shows!
7. What advice would you give to those looking to start their next career chapter with Disney?
Be intentional, and don’t be afraid to hustle. Since we build franchises from the ground up, we need to find the best talent and the best ideas, and we always have the brand in mind. Develop your point of view and be specific about how your taste and relationships can bring something fresh to the table. Disney’s audience is incredibly special. We help shape culture and inspire young minds. This is a huge responsibility and opportunity that we are so grateful for and lucky to have. Use it wisely. Best of luck to you on your career journey!
Are you interested in pursuing a career with Disney Entertainment? Visit Disney Careers to view open roles!
