Chris Parnell, formerly the senior creative executive of US Television for AppleTV+, has left the company for a new role at Paramount+.
Parnell began working for Apple in 2020, when he was poached from Sony Pictures Television. He had previously served as the SPT co-president and had been with the company for 16 years.
At Apple, he was involved in the development of multiple AppleTV+ originals. He oversaw the development of immersive content for Apple Vision Pro, including the platform's first immersive series Adventure, as well as the full-length documentary about Bono, released in February 2025.
As Deadline notes, he also worked with Apple on its original For All Mankind series, as well as Bad Monkey, Neuromancer, The Last Frontier, and Pluribus, among others. During his time as an AppleTV+ executive, Parnell reported directly to Matt Cherniss.
In his previous role at Sony, Parnell worked on high-profile series including The Blacklist, Preacher, and Outlander.
Parnell was involved in the development of various drama and comedy titles at both Sony Pictures Television and AppleTV+, and he'll reportedly continue this trend with Paramount+. He is also said to be a fan of comic books and their associated franchises, so we could see him working on a new Star Trek adaptation.
It remains to be seen whether his departure will have any sort of long-lasting impact on AppleTV+ originals and immersive content, but it seems unlikely.
