Brett Weitz’s Role as GM of TNT, TBS and TruTV Eliminated

Lesley Goldberg
·3 min read
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In news that should come as no surprise, Brett Weitz is leaving his role as general manager of Warner Bros. Discovery-owned networks TNT, TBS and TruTV.

Weitz has for the past few years maintained that his suite of linear cable networks was not exiting the scripted space, despite evidence to the contrary. Weitz’s role has been eliminated following the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger that saw the latter company’s Kathleen Finch take on oversight of the Warners-backed cable networks following a restructuring.

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“These past 14 years have been the most fulfilling of my career. I’ve had the great fortune to create and launch Emmy-winning fan-favorite entertainment, to be a part of powerful life-changing initiatives, and most importantly to have had the privilege to lead the most talented, dedicated, altruistic, and innovative team at the TNets. We made huge profits for shareholders and brilliant content for fans while having the most fun and being better partners with talent than any team I’ve ever been a part of. I will for sure continue to root for you all,” Weitz said in a statement announcing his departure.

Weitz first joined TNT as senior vp development in 2008, boarding from the now Disney-owned Fox 21 where he worked on the drama development team. He rose through the ranks over the years under former TNT execs Michael Wright and Kevin Reilly. With the latter exec (alongside Bob Greenblatt) pushed out under WarnerMedia, Weitz rose to oversee all the linear cable networks.

While Weitz has aggressively spent on scripted development, the slate of originals on all three basic cable networks has continue to dwindle, with a wave of cancellations and handful of moves to HBO Max.

More recently, TBS canceled Tracy Morgan’s The Last O.G. after a four-season run as for the cable network has continued to cut back on scripted originals over the past few years as audiences and development dollars shift to streaming. Once home to a sprawling portfolio that featured the likes of House of Payne, For Better or Worse, Cougar Town, Ground Floor, Angie Tribeca, People of Earth and Search Party, among others, TBS’ current slate has dwindled down to Fox transfer American Dad (renewed through 2023), the fourth season of anthology Miracle Workers and Nassim Pedrad’s long-gestating comedy Chad. The cabler recently made the decision to scrap Damon Wayans Jr. comedy Kill the Orange-Faced Bear, which landed at TBS after another linear cable network (Comedy Central) passed on it amid their own retreat from scripted.

TBS’ sibling network, TNT, has made the same retreat from scripted with a handful of shows earmarked for the network having either been dropped entirely, moved to HBO Max or sold to third-party buyers. TNT’s roster features only Snowpiercer and the upcoming final season of Animal Kingdom. The cabler, too, was also once home to a sizable slate of scripted that included Claws, The Last Ship, The Librarians, Major Crimes, Murder in the First, Rizzoli & Isles, Falling Skies, Southland, Dallas and scores of others.

It’s unclear what will happen to the remaining execs at the TNets as Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans continue to come into focus. Layoffs are expected as part of routine cost-savings efforts following the close of the merger.

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