Keith Cox

Courtesy of Paramount

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Cox’s key lieutenants, Paramount TV Studios vps Todd Baynes and Antonia Covault, will move to the current series team at the studio, headed by executive vp Carolyn Harris. Baynes and Covault work closely with 101 Studios, which co-produces the Yellowstone-verse and Sheridan’s other shows, including Landman, Tulsa King and Lioness, as well as MobLand and The Agency.

Sheridan is also leaving Paramount, albeit gradually. The prolific showrunner signed a megadeal with NBCUniversal last year that covers both film and TV projects; the film portion of the agreement kicks in this year, while Sheridan’s TV output will remain with Paramount through 2028.

“I’m incredibly confident that with Dana and Matt at the studio and Cindy [Holland], Jane [Wiseman], and Chris [Parnell] at Paramount+, these shows and franchises will continue to thrive,” Cox wrote. “They care deeply about the work, the creators, and the audiences.”

Prior to joining what was then Viacom in 2006, Cox was vp comedy at Warner Bros. TV. At TV Land, he led the development of the cable channel’s first original scripted show, Hot in Cleveland, and Younger with Darren Star; the latter relationship helped lead to Paramount TV Studios selling Emily in Paris to Netflix.

Cox added Paramount Network development to his portfolio in 2017, where he championed Yellowstone. He and Nina L. Diaz led MTV Entertainment Studios under Chris McCarthy, eventually adding Showtime to their purview as the premium outlet was folded into Paramount+. Cox stayed on after then co-CEO McCarthy departed in the wake of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount. Cox is leaving a few months ahead of the expected close of yet another merger, Paramount’s $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Thunell’s memo is below, followed by Cox’s.

Team,

I’m reaching out to share some news with you regarding our wonderful colleague Keith Cox. Keith has made the decision to move on from his role with the studio after 20 years of invaluable contributions.

Over his long tenure, Keith helped oversee countless successful and culturally impactful series across the Paramount portfolio. He was an early champion of Taylor Sheridan and helped bring Yellowstone to Paramount Network, where it went on to become the top scripted show on cable and launched a franchise. He played an important role in the expansion of the Taylorverse, including Landman, 1883, 1923, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness, as well as more recent hits like The Madison and Marshals; and the soon-to-debut Dutton Ranch. He also helped launch Jez Butterworth’s successful slate of series with Paramount+, including MobLand and The Agency. Keith has played a foundational role in MTV Entertainment Studios’ scripted success.

Additionally, Keith has been instrumental in the development and launch of a wide range of standout series across Paramount Network and TV Land. These include TV Land’s signature originals Hot in Cleveland and Younger, which helped redefine the network’s scripted identity, and on Netflix, Emily in Paris, which went on to become a global hit.

Keith has worked closely alongside some of the industry’s biggest showrunners, including Darren Star, Terry Winter, and Jez Butterworth, while also collaborating with longtime partner David Glasser and 101 Studios.

Most importantly, Keith is a respected leader and has been an incredible partner to both Dana and me from our first days at Paramount. We are grateful for his leadership, collaboration, and the impact he has had on our teams, creative partners, and franchis

Keith Cox Leaving Paramount TV Studios