Published in Variety, on Apr 9th, 2019, By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
Fox is doubling down with this year’s Primetime Emmys telecast, enlisting two producers to handle the kudos: Don Mischer Productions and Done+Dusted.
In marrying two different production shingles to collaborate on the show, Fox Entertainment alternative entertainment and specials president Rob Wade said the network was looking for “a fresh direction by bringing together the two best, most inventive and most disruptive production companies to join forces on the show.”
Wade also noted that the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards reps the first Emmys for Fox Entertainment as a new, stand-alone company in the wake of Disney’s acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox.
“Don Mischer Productions and Done+Dusted both brought incredible ideas to the table, and we are lucky enough to have the two teams collaborate on this television event,” he added.
Mischer and his partners Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare, have produced countless Primetime Emmy broadcasts over the years, while Done+Dusted produced the Emmy broadcast last year for the first time. In a statement, Mischer, Haykel, and Hare said they’ve also known the team at Done+Dusted, including principals Hamish Hamilton and Ian Stewart, for several years “and have admired their work for quite some time.
“So, when our friends at Fox proposed this unconventional marriage, we also thought what better way for us to have the opportunity to and steal all of D+D’s masterful production secrets,” they quipped.
Done+Dusted president Ian Stewart said they appreciated the opportunity “to put partisan production aside and work together to see if we can find ways to develop a new-look Emmys on new-look FOX… Not to mention it gives us a chance to learn and steal all of Don and the team’s masterful production secrets.”
[ads1]
Those production meetings should be interesting. Television Academy chairman and CEO Frank Scherma said the idea of putting together two powerhouse live event producers came out of the idea that TV itself has become so big.
“As a consequence, the Emmy telecast has tremendous significance and should reflect the innovation and inventiveness that television embodies,” Scherma said. “Don Mischer Productions and Done+Dusted are the resources to help fuel that transformation.”
First up on the to-do list for the two production companies: Finding a host for the Emmys, which will air live across the country on Sunday, Sept. 22. With no late-night franchise, Fox doesn’t have an obvious choice for a traditional comedian host, but does employ plenty of comedians across its sitcoms and animated series, as well as hosts from its reality franchises.
Don Mischer Productions’ credits also include the Academy Awards; numerous Super Bowl halftime shows (Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and more); the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial; and several Olympic Games opening ceremonies.
Done+Dusted, which is based in both London and Los Angeles, handled the London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, the British Fashion Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Emmy campaigning is already underway, with nominations set to be announced on Tuesday, July 16.