Melanie Frankel

Melanie Frankel is senior vice president, Comedy Development, ABC Signature. In this position she is responsible for developing comedy projects for the studio across its multiple in-house partners as well as those outside of the Disney Television Studios landscape. She reports to Jonnie Davis, president, ABC Signature.

Frankel has been with the studio since 2015 as vice president, Current. She most recently oversaw the successful launch of the ABC drama “Stumptown,” one of the highest-rated new dramas of the season. She also served as the current executive on “American Housewife” and “A Million Little Things.”

Frankel has spent the majority of her career in comedy development and brings a wealth of long and successful experiences to her new role. She worked in ABC Studios’ Comedy Department from 2007-2011, before leaving to serve as head of Comedy Development for USA Network. During her tenure there, she developed the series “Playing House,” “Sirens” and “Benched.” She later returned to the ABC Studios Current Department, where she had oversight of both comedy and drama series. She has also worked in development at Imagine Television and Grammnet.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.