Tuned Into Reality
Top TV exec has gone from intern to taking pitches and developing shows.
By Francis Villalpando
Francie Calfo's rise to the heights of a network TV career did not
happen overnight. Neither was her path a straight one. For more than 18
years, Calfo has navigated her way through opportunities in the
entertainment business. The journey has not been easy, but through it
all she remains steadfast that being able to live life fully is what
matters most.
As the former executive vice president of development and
current programming at ABC, Calfo oversaw scripted shows on the air and
bought and developed new ones. Needless to say, hers was a search for
the next hit. For Calfo, it was the opportunity of a lifetime: She
assembled a team of talented pros that revived the network, positioning
it as No. 1 with shows like "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy" and
"Desperate Housewives."
"People give me a lot more credit than I deserve," Calfo says.
"I get so excited for the writers and the team I worked with. It's
amazing to watch people who are really talented become so successful
right before your eyes."
Calfo has gone from bottom to top in the television industry,
from delivering ratings as an intern to having a say in what goes on
the air. She attributes her success to understanding the need to stay
grounded. In fact, she believes that being a wife and a mother of three
helped her at work.
"Family keeps me rooted in the world, rather than just sitting
in an office," she explains. "I tell people who are pursuing a
television career and want to start a family that it made me better at
what I do."
Staying connected to family and friends, she says, shaped how she evaluated show ideas and writers.
"I really look for universal truths and writers who have something to say," Calfo says.
Of course, not all network TV reflects her beliefs. She says
that at times the industry needs to be more responsible. But she also
believes that viewers are entitled to make their own choices about what
they watch.
After two-and-a-half years with ABC, Calfo left in 2006 to start
her own development and production company, Francie Calfo Productions
Inc. She also signed a deal with ABC Studios to develop shows. The
appeal of the arrangement, she says, is that having her own company
gets her closer to the creative process and gives her more say in
creating shows. "I want to be a creative fortress for writers, a place
where they feel safe and protected to express ideas," Calfo says.
Taking a chance on a new venture comes with risks, however. In
November 2007, six months into its launch, her production company was
suspended by ABC Studios due to the writers' strike. The company's
doors will reopen when the strike is over, she says.
"I'm sad about it, but ... we'll ride out the storm. Hopefully,
people will come back inspired, and we all will be able to watch good
television again in the near future," Calfo says.