Starz original programming president Christina Davis departs

Christina Davis

US cablenet Starz’s president of original programming Christina Davis is stepping down from her position, just over a year since taking up the role.

Davis replaced Apple TV-bound Carmi Zlotnik in May 2020 and had responsibility for Starz’s development teams, as well as its programming efforts with shows such as Blindspotting and Gaslit on the slate.

The shows were part of Davis’s efforts to focus Starz programming on women and more diverse audiences, with series including P-Valley and Hightown in their second seasons.

The US cablenet is now looking for a replacement for Davis, who had worked with producer Michael Seitzman at Maniac Productions for two years prior to her appointment at Starz.

Before that, she was at CBS for almost two decades and rose to head up its drama efforts with shows such as Scorpion, The Good Wife and Blue Bloods.

Karen Bailey, Starz’s EVP of originals, has taken on Davis’s remit on an interim basis, working with president & CEO Jeffrey Hirsch. Davis’s exit was first reported by US trade Deadline.