Netflix taps Jeff Gaspin, former NBCU TV Chairman, as unscripted series VP

Netflix has hired Jeff Gaspin to be its new vice president of unscripted series, TheWrap has learned.

This news comes after Jenn Levy, the former VP of nonfiction, left the streaming giant last month. Gaspin formerly served as chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment from 2009 through 2011. In his new role, Gaspin will be based in Netflix’s Los Angeles headquarters and will report directly to Brandon Riegg, the company’s vice president of nonfiction series.

“Jeff is such a huge talent, with so much experience across unscripted and television in general, and I couldn’t be more excited that he’s joining us,” Riegg said in a statement to press. “From ‘Rhythm & Flow’ to ‘Tinder Swindler,’ he’s already been part of the Netflix family and we’re looking forward to continuing working with him and learning from him in this lively world of unscripted TV.”

“I feel a bit like Al Pacino in ‘Godfather Part III’: Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in,” Gaspin said in a statement to press. “I’m so thrilled to join Brandon and the unscripted team at Netflix. I was always most successful and happiest when I built or ran unscripted at VH1, Bravo and NBCU. I can’t wait to do the same at Netflix.”

Most recently, Gaspin served as president of Gaspin Media, the production and consulting company the executive also founded. The company helped produce Netflix originals “Rhythm & Flow” and “The Tinder Swindler” as well as the short-lived Showtime series “The First Lady,” to name a few of its projects.

During his time as chairman of NBC Universal, Gaspin oversaw all business, creative and distribution aspects of NBCU’s entertainment television portfolio. That included USA Network, Syfy, Bravo and Oxygen during a time for the parent company that included “House,” “30 Rock,” “White Collar” and “Psych.”

More relevant to his current position in unscripted, Gaspin also served as president and COO for NBC Universal Television Group for a time as well as president of Bravo. During his time at Bravo, he oversaw large-scale unscripted hits “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and “Project Runway.” Gaspin also served as vice president of programming and development at NBC News for a time, which led to him developing the news magazine “Dateline,” and started his career as a creative executive for VH1. In that role, he created “Behind the Music,” which led to him twice being nominated for an Emmy.

Levy, who oversaw series such as “Is It Cake?” and “Queer Eye,” departed the streaming giant in late January. She was Riegg’s first hire after he joined Netflix in 2016 and had been with the company since 2017. Much like Gaspin, Levy also has a history with Bravo, having previously spent nine years at the cable network. TheWrap