Karey Burke is president of 20th Television, the powerhouse studio behind a diverse slate of award-winning and critically acclaimed programming across multiple platforms. The studio serves as a content engine within the Disney ecosystem, including series currently in production for ABC, Disney+, Freeform, FX, Hulu, National Geographic, Onyx Collective and other outside platforms.
As a champion of a more inclusive and collaborative creative environment, Burke was a driving force behind the launch of Walt Disney Television’s Executive Incubator Program, aimed at establishing a pipeline of next-generation executives with a deliberate focus on developing underrepresented talent. At 20th Television, Burke established the studio’s TAG (Twentieth Action Group), organizing meaningful events for employees to amplify the studio’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally with partner organizations.
Since becoming president of 20th Television in December 2020, the studio has produced the breakout hits “Percy Jackson and The Olympians” for Disney+, which garnered over 26M views in its first three weeks while the premiere episodes landed at #4 in Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming Originals for the week of launch; ABC’s Golden Globe, SAG, AFI and Emmy® Award-winning comedy “Abbott Elementary” from Quinta Brunson, “Not Dead Yet” starring Gina Rodriguez, and “Will Trent”; “The Last Thing He Told Me” starring Jennifer Garner, ranking as the No.1 limited series ever on Apple TV+; Hulu’s most-watched comedy in history, Emmy-winning “Only Murders in the Building” from Dan Fogelman, John Hoffman and Steve Martin; the critically acclaimed limited series “Dopesick” from Danny Strong and starring Michael Keaton, its out-of-the-gate hit “How I Met Your Father” starring Hilary Duff; the Emmy-nominated limited series “The Dropout” from Liz Meriwether and starring Golden Globe® winner Amanda Seyfried; FX’s “American Horror Story” from Ryan Murphy; Golden Globe-nominated “The Old Man” starring Oscar® and Golden Globe winner Jeff Bridges; and the star-studded “Impeachment: American Crime Story” from Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Sarah Burgess; NBC’s multi-award-winning legacy series “This Is Us” from Dan Fogelman; network hit drama, “9-1-1,” moving to ABC in March 2024, and its spinoff, “9-1-1: Lone Star” from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear; “The Santa Clauses” and the historic launch of “American Born Chinese” for Disney+; and the award-winning “Genius” anthology series for Nat Geo, including the forthcoming “Genius: MLK/X.” Upcoming tentpoles include “Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans” starring Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart and Demi Moore and “Dying For Sex” from Liz Meriwether and starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate for FX; “We Were The Lucky Ones” starring Logan Lerman and Joey King for Hulu; and “Tracker” starring Justin Hartley for CBS.
Burke previously served as president of ABC Entertainment from December 2018 through November 2020, where she developed some of the most critically acclaimed and widely viewed live television events. Prior to ABC Entertainment, Burke served as executive vice president of Programming and Development at Freeform since October 2014. Before Freeform, Burke partnered with director Todd Holland in Dark Toy Entertainment, which they created in 2010; and previously joined forces with Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg as the third partner in their company, Katalyst Films. Prior to joining Katalyst, she partnered with Jamie Tarses in an overall production deal with NBC Universal Television. From 1999 until 2003, she served as executive vice president of Primetime Series at NBC.
Burke began her career as a comedy development assistant at NBC after graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA with a degree in communication studies. She sits on the board of directors for The Paley Center and Alliance for Children’s Rights.
