Andy Cohen to Give Up Exec Role in New Bravo Deal

Andy Cohen is staying put at Bravo, inking a new two-year deal with the cable network under which he'll relinquish his role as executive vp talent and development.

According to the New York Times, the Watch What Happens Live host will focus on developing primetime shows for the network via his new Most Talkative production banner and give up his executive role.

Cohen was promoted exec vp original programming and development at Bravo in 2010, overseeing franchises including Top Chef and The Real Housewives. He first started reducing his executive roles in November 2011 when Bravo expanded his late-night series to five nights a week, shifting from exec vp programming to strictly overseeing development and talent.

"This is sort of freeing Andy from the corporate shackles," Bravo president Frances Berwick told the Times.

STORY: Bravo Expands Andy Cohen's Late-Night Show

Cohen's Watch What Happens has become the mold for post-show talkers, leading to AMC's Talking Dead, Talking Bad and others who look to extend the life of a franchise beyond the scripted series. FX mulled launching a companion for American Horror Story and the network has done a few online installments to support Sons of AnarchyWWHL initially began as an online talk show following The Real Housewives and grew to once and later five times a week with Cohen at its helm. 

The new deal will allow Cohen to focus purely on developing new series for the network, where he previously had a hand in shepherding series including multiple Real Housewives spinoffs, The Rachel Zoe ProjectTabatha's Salon Takeover, Shahs of Sunset, and Millionaire Matchmaker, among others. Under the new pact, Cohen will remain an EP on the Real Housewives series.

Lesley Goldberg