Ex-ITVS America exec creates unscripted prodco

Former ITV Studios America development executive Rob Shaftel has create a New York-based production company, Hit+Run.

Hit+Run will look to creat high concept and high quality character-driven series and original formats, which Shaftel will executive produce.

Shaftel (pictured) has hired another former ITVS America development exec, Noah Korn, to become senior director of development, and Hit+Run already has projects in development with Red Bull Media House, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen and Animal Planet.

At ITVS America, the US arm of UK broadcaster ITV, Shaftel was senior VP, development, where he created Science Channel’s Secret Space Escapes, Discovery Channel’s Rebel Gold and Animal Planet’s Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters.

Before that, he was VP, development at Leftfield Pictures, a subsidiary of Leftfield Entertainment, which ITV acquired for US$360 million in 2014. There he development and sold more than 20 projects, including History Channel shows American Restoration and Counting Cars. He has also held executive posts at Discovery Communications and Spike.

Korn, meanwhile, worked under Shaftel at ITVS America as director of development in New York. There he developed a yet-to-announced Lifetime series, and projects for Fox, History, MTV and AMC among others.

The development comes after Shaftel’s former boss at Leftfield, Brent Montgomery, was named CEO of a restructured ITV America, which replaced the ITV Studios US Group.

ITV America now houses the Leftfield group of prodcos, plus Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Gurney Productions among others.