Liz Tigelaar Signs New Deal with Paramount TV Studios and CBS Studios
Liz Tigelaar, renowned creator and showrunner of Little Fires Everywhere and Tiny Beautiful Things, has departed from Disney to enter into an exclusive three-year overall deal with Paramount, encompassing both Paramount TV Studios and CBS Studios. This marks a historic collaboration, as it is the first shared overall deal between the two studios since their establishment as primary TV production units following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global.
Overall joint deals are uncommon and are typically utilized to mitigate costs associated with top-tier talent across studios. Tigelaar’s transition comes after spending the majority of her career at Disney, including over 15 years with multiple overall agreements. As her latest contract concluded, she explored various opportunities, ultimately selecting Paramount in early December after several meetings with interested studios.
Beginning in February, Tigelaar will return to CBS Studios, where she was signed to her first overall deal in 2009 and created her inaugural series, the CW’s Life Unexpected. At that time, CBS Studios’ key creative executives, David Stapf and Bryan Seabury, were instrumental in her development.
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Under the new agreement with PTVS and CBS Studios, Tigelaar will develop streaming and broadcast series through her production company, Best Day Ever Productions, collaborating with Abby Chambers, the company’s VP of development. Their efforts will be coordinated with the leadership teams at PTVS, including Matt Thunell and Shelley Zimmerman, along with Seabury and Stapf at CBS Studios.
This partnership signifies another first for both studios, which will co-produce all projects emerging from the deal. The collaborative nature raises questions about the possibility of further cooperation or even a potential consolidation in the future.
This joint deal mirrors a similar arrangement executed in 2022 when top producer Warren Littlefield partnered with the two major TV studios following Disney’s acquisition of the Fox assets, which eventually led to their merger into a single entity.
“Having Liz join us at PTVS and CBS Studios for her next chapter feels like both a homecoming and a new beginning,” said Stapf and Thunell in a joint statement. “She is an extraordinary creative force with a unique voice that blends emotional truth, humor and humanity in a way that resonates deeply with audiences. We are eager, along with our teams, to collaborate with Liz once again as she continues to create and build worlds that reflect her bold storytelling and heart.”
In addition to her previous relationships with CBS Studios’ Stapf and Seabury, Tigelaar has a long-standing connection with PTVS’ Zimmerman.
The book Zimmerman introduced to Tigelaar was Swamplandia, which has since become a hallmark of her career, particularly with her recent series developed for Hulu.
Tigelaar’s credits include Little Fires Everywhere, produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, Tiny Beautiful Things, featuring Kathryn Hahn, and Under the Bridge.
Her female-centered storytelling aligns with Paramount+’s new emphasis on increasing female-driven drama series to complement the existing Taylor Sheridan slate, as FTVS serves as the platform’s primary supplier.
Tigelaar’s extensive experience also encompasses contributions to Hulu’s Casual, ABC’s What About Brian, Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers and Sisters, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Nashville, Astronaut Wives Club, and A&E’s Bates Motel. She is represented by UTA and Wendy Kirk at Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
