Television Executive Debra Weeks brings creativity, energy, and excitement to work every day. Whatever the genre, Debra creates success utilizing a strong collaborative and supportive approach to the business of original content development, production and distribution.
Debra’s solid and wide ranging experience includes all types of programming – entertainment, music, talk, news, crime, pop culture, live, unscripted and daily syndication – always keeping in focus the goal of audience engagement and profitability.
Debra is a hands-on showrunner who provides an expertise in development, launch, revamping formats, production, and management. She’s worked both sides of the street – Network Executive as well as Executive Producer/Showrunner.
As part of its’ original summer programming slate, FOX TV recruited Debra to revamp and launch The Jason Show, a daily live entertainment/talk show for a national test run. She overhauled the show’s format, branded new lifestyle segments and engaged a variety of guest correspondents.
Debra oversaw and managed the integration of a new set, a 3×3 video wall and a redesigned graphics package to create a host friendly, live studio audience, interactive environment.
At its’ premiere, host Jason Matheson was described as a “dynamic, hilarious personality and The Jason Show will resonate well beyond the Minneapolis market.”
Working at the convergence of traditional media and digital – Debra took over and revamped REVOLT TV’s flagship show, REVOLT Live, a daily live music-based entertainment program for Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs’ emerging network. Key highlights include:
- 250 hours of programming
- 175 live music performances
- 450 artist interviews
- 12 Special Event live outdoor concerts and in-studio guest artist takeovers
- Sales & Marketing partnerships for Honda, Budweiser, Universal Pictures, Paramount Studios, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Footaction, Verizon and HP
Revolt: Powered by Music, Driven by Culture & Fueled by Youth
When Ryan Seacrest Productions, HD Net, CAA, and AEG, partnered to rebrand HD Net to AXS TV, Debra was tapped as Network EP. She worked to bring together all the partner’s needs and goals as she developed and launched AXSLive, the network’s daily live entertainment, programming block.
Debra built a team of hosts, correspondents, and producers along with a full studio and production staff. Leveraging tech (3-D Virtual studio graphics and camera systems and live mobile streaming) Debra went live, on schedule, from a brand new studio. AXSLive featured live hits from up to 10 cities across the US, providing fresh programming blocks totalling up to 5 hours daily.
At launch, AXSLive was described as “the pop-culture equivalent of ESPN’s SportsCenter.”
Debra was brought on board by Nash Entertainment to helm its first foray with a weekly network series, NBC’s World’s Most Amazing Videos. Following “World’s” success Debra developed, launched, and produced 13 series including:
- Travel Channel’s celebrity-driven Road Trip
- TLC’s wedding docu-series For Better or Worse
- Fox’s studio audience show Totally Outrageous Behavior
- Discovery’s docu-drama Moments of Impact
Debra worked with Court TV as it rebranded to truTV developing several genre defining reality series: Top 20 Countdown, Most Shocking and Most Daring.
Paramount Pictures enlisted Debra for the startup team of their syndicated show Hard Copy, ultimately, becoming the Senior Producer with directing credits on over 2,000 episodes.
Debra began her career as a journalist reporting, anchoring, and producing television news across the Southwest. Debra honed the skills of effective decision making and thinking on your feet amidst the pressure and chaos of daily live broadcast deadlines.
CM