Mark Stern

Mark Stern was named President, Original Content, Syfy, in January 2011.  Stern also serves as Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions, and has creative oversight on the newly formed Syfy Films, a joint venture with Universal Pictures.

As Co-Head, Original Content for Universal Cable Productions (he was promoted to this position in 2008), Stern produces content for both Syfy and USA – with the first two projects (Warehouse 13 and Royal Pains) hits for their respective networks – as well as programming for networks outside the NBC organization.

A writer, producer and former literary agent, since joining Syfy in 2002 (he was named EVP in 2003), Stern has been the creative architect behind Syfy’s numerous water cooler programming including Battlestar Galactica, Warehouse 13, Stargate: Atlantis, Eureka, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, Sanctuary, the record-breaking miniseries Tin Man, as well as new critically acclaimed series Being Human, Alphas and Haven.

Under Stern’s leadership, Syfy is launching the largest original programming slate in its 18-year history. This includes a record expansion of reality programming building upon recent unscripted hits such as Face Off, Hollywood Treasure, Haunted Collector, Paranormal Witness and Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files.

During his tenure, Stern has forged partnerships with an all-star cast of top industry talent in front of and behind the cameras including Bryan Singer and Dean Devlin (The Triangle), Jeffrey Reiner (Caprica), Jace Alexander (Warehouse 13), Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica), Eric Stoltz and Esai Morales (Caprica), Alan Cumming and Zooey Deschanel (Tin Man), Isabella Rosellini (Riverworld), Lou Diamond Phillips (Stargate Universe), Julianna Margulies and Peter Krause (The Lost Room), and Tracey Morgan (Scare Tactics).

During his tenure, Syfy programming has garnered nearly 25 Emmy nominations over the past several years as well as the 2009 TCA Program of the Year for Battlestar Galactica. The seminal series also received the 2005 Peabody Award.

Stern joined Syfy following a 15-year tenure at Trilogy Entertainment Group.  As a partner and president of its television division, he amassed a strong track record of original movies and series production, most especially in the science fiction arena. Among the over 300 hours of television production he has been involved in, Stern executive produced the long-running, award-winning series The Outer Limits, two seasons of The Magnificent Seven for CBS, the highly-rated ABC miniseries Peter Benchley’s Creature, the three-hour NBC movie event Carrie, UPN’s The Twilight Zone, and Breaking News for Bravo.  Additionally, Stern wrote numerous episodes of both The Outer Limits and Poltergeist: The Legacy, a series he also executive produced.

After graduating from Dartmouth College, Stern was a literary agent’s assistant at Los Angeles-based Writers and Artists Agency.  He joined Trilogy in July 1987 and was promoted to Director of Development in December 1989.  Closely involved in the development of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Stern was promoted to Vice President of Development in April 1991. He supervised the development and production of the classic science fiction anthology series The Outer Limits through its 154 episode run and was upped to Senior Vice President of Production at Trilogy in the spring of 1994, then to Executive Vice President of Production in February 1995, to President of Television in 1997, and became a partner in Trilogy Entertainment in 1999.