‘Ugly Delicious’ Showrunner Eddie Schmidt Signs Overall Deal With Universal TV

By Joe Otterson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Producer, director and documentarian Eddie Schmidt has signed an overall deal with Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal Television. Under the terms of the deal, Schmidt will produce both scripted and unscripted fare.

A celebrated documentary filmmaker, Schmidt most recently served as executive producer, showrunner, and episodic director of the Netflix series “Ugly Delicious” He is also the executive producer and director on “In Search Of” starring Zachary Quinto for History.

“We are thrilled that a filmmaker of Eddie’s caliber is joining our studio family after seeing his impressive work firsthand on History’s ‘In Search Of,’” said Meredith Ahr, president of . “With his directorial eye and documentary storytelling instincts, he brings a fresh perspective and breadth to our studio’s development slate, and we can’t wait to collaborate with him on his next big ideas.”

Previously, Schmidt was executive producer, showrunner, and director of “The Case of: Jonbenet Ramsey” for CBS, executive producer and showrunner of Bravo’s “Newlyweds: The First Year,” and co-executive producer of MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show.” He also directed segments for Netflix’s “Chelsea,” the GE/Focus Forward short “Good Bread” and NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”

“Since I was an 11-year-old-boy going door to door with a petition to save ‘Harper Valley PTA’ from cancellation (note: 78 signatures), I’ve always felt a connection to NBCUniversal,” Schmidt said. “As a grown-up content maker, I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Meredith and her incredible team to explore a full range of innovative storytelling opportunities in unscripted and beyond. I’m never more delighted than when new ideas are cooking, and it’s wonderful to have a home for them.”

Schmidt has also produced six projects that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. These include Netflix’s “Chelsea Does, which he also directed, HBO’s two-time Emmy nominee “Valentine Road,” IFC’s “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” which he co-wrote, HBO’s Oscar-nominated “Twist of Faith,” Morgan Neville’s Emmy-nominated music documentary “Troubadours,” and “Chain Camera.”

He is repped by ICM, Dialed-In Entertainment, and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer.