Julie McNamara departs as Head of Programming at Paramount+

Julie McNamara courtesy ViacomCBS

JUNE 3, 2021 - Big business news last week, as Deadline reported that Julie McNamara is resigning from her position as Executive Vice President and Head of Programming at Paramount+. After 15 years with CBS, the move to leave the streaming network may come as a surprise, as the success of Paramount+ (and its predecessor, CBS All Access) have only grown under her leadership.

McNamara spent 10 years at CBS Studios, developing several popular series before joining what was then known as CBS All Access as the Executive Vice President of Original Content. In 2019, she was named alongside fellow CBS executive Shari Redstone on The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100 list. In 2020, McNamara was elevated to Head of Programming for Paramount+. And in the last five years, she has been a key player in the Star Trek Universe, overseeing the development of Star Treks: Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds. She was also the same executive who told us back in February not to expect a Section 31 series until one of the series currently in production comes to an end. 

In an email to McNamara’s staff, the departing executive wrote, “Dear Colleagues and Friends, I’m writing to share the news that I am leaving Paramount+. This is truly a bittersweet moment as I think about everything we’ve accomplished together, especially an amazing roster of prestigious and franchise shows that we can all be proud of.” Citing the success of CBS All Access, McNamara went on to say, “The introduction of our Original Series exponentially grew the subscriber base and profile of the platform, and set the stage for what’s to come. Now, Paramount+ is launched and poised to capitalize on the breadth and depth of talent across multiple brands, with series lined up by the incredible P+ creative team.”

There’s no word yet on what’s next for Julie McNamara, but please join everyone at Daily Star Trek News in wishing the best for McNamara in her future endeavours.