Anthony Hemingway Productions Adds CBS Vets Whitney Davis & Sean Hoagland

Dominic Patten
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: The executive bench at Anthony Hemingway’s production company just got significantly deeper.

Whitney Davis and Sean Hoagland have joined Anthony Hemingway Productions as VP Development & Production and SVP Television, respectively. The CBS alums will take the big perspective on creative development, production, and diversity and inclusion efforts at the Genius: Aretha director’s 2-year-old shingle. AHP creative executive Ashoka Thomas and Kyndra “Binkie” Reevey will report directly to Davis and Hoagland, who began at the company earlier this month.

This expansion comes as AHP inked a two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television back in late July.

“I respond well to people who have great personalities, good character, confidence, enthusiasm and passion,” Hemingway said Monday of Davis’ and Hoagland’s addition to the company.

“These qualities and their rich experience is what attracted me to both Sean and Whitney,” the Power Book II: Ghost helmer added. “What sealed the deal was the fact that their alignment and support to champion the work and mission of Anthony Hemingway Productions — which is creating opportunities and changing the narrative or social stigma for Black lives (with a focus on Black men), women, underrepresented people, other queer people, and other people of color.”

“There is still so much more work to be done and I am very fortunate to have these creative forces spearhead AHP’s next phase of growth,” Hemingway added. “I look forward to Sean and Whitney collaborating closely with our partners to build and guide our ambitious slate.”

At CBS for 13 years, Davis started out in News and moved to Entertainment in 2011. The exec’s role as the company’s Director of Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion will in many ways carry over to AHP and its stated goals of seeking out new voices and cultural-changing content. A former VP Drama at ratings-topping CBS, Hoagland’s nearly 10 years at the now ViacomCBS-owned company started with an early stint at Showtime. Helping to oversee the likes of Evil, Madam Secretary and Elementary at CBS, Hoagland was also involved in the pilots for LA Confidential and Murder, which Emmy winner Hemingway directed and executive produced.

With the Cynthia Erivo-fronted Genius: Aretha still not back in production due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hemingway’s work will next be seen on the small screen with the premiere of the first Power spinoff Ghost on Starz on September 6.

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