Barry Poznick Bids Adieu: Drama, Power Moves, and Amazon’s Reality Throne Up for Grabs

Olivia Bennett, 11/26/2025Barry Poznick's departure from Amazon MGM Studios marks a significant shift in reality TV leadership. Known for hits like The Voice and Shark Tank, his influence extends across the industry. As Peter Friedlander steps in, the challenge remains: innovate or settle into the status quo.

Rumor has it, even the polished glass corridors of Culver Studios hummed with the news. Such audible shockwaves were always inevitable with Poznick around; the man started as a PA on shows that might now be retro enough to warrant a Rewind tab on Prime, and—by grit or a bit of that old movie magic—climbed the industry’s slipperiest ladder. Who ever said the Hollywood dream belonged in the script department?

What’s hard to deny: Poznick never just followed the parade of reality TV, he often led the majorette. His orbit contains the DNA of virtually every guilty-pleasure hit from the past two decades. (Anyone else remember the sprightly anarchy of Beat Shazam? Or the rebooted American Gladiators—sheer brawn and not an ounce of shame for the Lycra?) His collaborations with Mark Burnett, the so-called Edison of reality formats, could fill a cocktail napkin with Emmys, or maybe an entire cocktail bar with the gossip.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?—no, seriously, was anyone?—brought intergenerational chaos into living rooms, spawning inside jokes and the odd existential crisis for parents. Then there were the household-name factories: Shark Tank, The Voice. Poznick’s sense for what glimmers just below pop culture’s surface is almost eerie, as if he’s got access to some mystical Nielsen artifact tucked away in a Beverly Hills powder room.

But here’s a twist right out of his own playbook: Barry’s “exit” comes draped in Hollywood ritual. It’s the era of “creative transitions,” which is code, or perhaps couture, for a major swap at the top. Lauren Anderson’s already slipped into a new stream elsewhere, and Peter Friedlander now surveys the landscape from Amazon’s new tower, fresh from Netflix and with an air of “I know what you streamed last summer.” MGM’s unscripted division was wrapped into Amazon just a few months ago. Some in the town call it consolidation, others mutter about boardroom battles. It’s a familiar rhythm—bosses reshuffled, projects renamed, yet the sizzle reels never truly change.

Poznick leaves behind more than a busy résumé. Those closest to the day-to-day—Lucilla D’Agostini at Evolution Media and Big Fish, Kitty Gambel quietly steering a fleet of high-concept pilots, and, overseas, Dom Bird keeping the global unscripted fire burning—now answer to Friedlander. Talk about a game of musical chairs played on a red carpet. Gambel, notably, has turned the streamer’s alternative slate into a who’s who of watercooler conversation: Are You Smarter than a Celebrity (Travis Kelce, helmet optional), Wish List Games, TikTok stars and all, and that Gladiators redux.

It’s tempting to paint Poznick as simply the latest lieutenant out the door in the Burnett Dynasty’s closing act. Yet, his influence was never confined to any single office or quarterly report. When he got the bump up in 2019, the remit stretched from beach volleyball shows to highbrow docuseries, and included Orion TV’s foray into the drama market. Navigating all that—the chaos, egos, and budget gymnastics—demands both a velvet glove and iron nerves.

Yet, even as Poznick recasts himself behind the camera (a showrunner’s eternity, if less visible), the reality ecosystem keeps mutating. Unpredictability might be baked into the DNA of unscripted TV, but this is a particularly intriguing handover. Friedlander’s challenge is either to conjure fresh magic, or just keep the machinery juddering along with enough flair to stave off “just another streamer” fatigue. You’d be forgiven, given the recent Amazon originals hiccups, for wondering which it’ll be.

When giants exit a room, their legends balloon in the retelling—one suspects Poznick will join that rarefied group soon, if he hasn’t already. The stories, usually whispered over champagne at wrap parties or barked across industry golf tournaments, will only grow wilder with each retelling. Emily Watson once referenced “thrilling wild tales” as the mark of a true legend; swap stage for studio, and the same holds.

If this chapter feels a bit like the series finale of a much-loved, slightly unhinged reality show, that’s probably fitting. Hollywood never dreams in past tense. The masks are forever on standby, the scripts only half-written on napkins in West Hollywood.

Will Friedlander’s new regime sparkle, or slip under the weight of its own ambition? Well. That’s one reveal no spoiler can ruin just yet.

Roll on, credits—though, as all true fans know, Hollywood’s credits rarely mean it’s time to leave the party.

If you’ve felt a tremor under Hollywood’s gaudiest soundstages recently, no need to check your popcorn for clues—it’s just reality television reaching for the Prozac. Barry Poznick, magus of unscripted spectacle and Amazon MGM Studios’ not-so-secret ace, is handing over his executive badge. Of course, in true Tinseltown form, he’s not exactly melting into obscurity; he’s got a new three-year executive producer contract inked and barely dry, ensuring his imprint lingers on a dizzying array of titles—The Voice, Shark Tank, Vanderpump Rules, and that eternally meme-able treasure, Real Housewives.Rumor has it, even the polished glass corridors of Culver Studios hummed with the news. Such audible shockwaves were always inevitable with Poznick around; the man started as a PA on shows that might now be retro enough to warrant a Rewind tab on Prime, and—by grit or a bit of that old movie magic—climbed the industry’s slipperiest ladder. Who ever said the Hollywood dream belonged in the script department?What’s hard to deny: Poznick never just followed the parade of reality TV, he often led the majorette. His orbit contains the DNA of virtually every guilty-pleasure hit from the past two decades. (Anyone else remember the sprightly anarchy of Beat Shazam? Or the rebooted American Gladiators—sheer brawn and not an ounce of shame for the Lycra?) His collaborations with Mark Burnett, the so-called Edison of reality formats, could fill a cocktail napkin with Emmys, or maybe an entire cocktail bar with the gossip.Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?—no, seriously, was anyone?—brought intergenerational chaos into living rooms, spawning inside jokes and the odd existential crisis for parents. Then there were the household-name factories: Shark Tank, The Voice. Poznick’s sense for what glimmers just below pop culture’s surface is almost eerie, as if he’s got access to some mystical Nielsen artifact tucked away in a Beverly Hills powder room.But here’s a twist right out of his own playbook: Barry’s “exit” comes draped in Hollywood ritual. It’s the era of “creative transitions,” which is code, or perhaps couture, for a major swap at the top. Lauren Anderson’s already slipped into a new stream elsewhere, and Peter Friedlander now surveys the landscape from Amazon’s new tower, fresh from Netflix and with an air of “I know what you streamed last summer.” MGM’s unscripted division was wrapped into Amazon just a few months ago. Some in the town call it consolidation, others mutter about boardroom battles. It’s a familiar rhythm—bosses reshuffled, projects renamed, yet the sizzle reels never truly change.Poznick leaves behind more than a busy résumé. Those closest to the day-to-day—Lucilla D’Agostini at Evolution Media and Big Fish, Kitty Gambel quietly steering a fleet of high-concept pilots, and, overseas, Dom Bird keeping the global unscripted fire burning—now answer to Friedlander. Talk about a game of musical chairs played on a red carpet. Gambel, notably, has turned the streamer’s alternative slate into a who’s who of watercooler conversation: Are You Smarter than a Celebrity (Travis Kelce, helmet optional), Wish List Games, TikTok stars and all, and that Gladiators redux.It’s tempting to paint Poznick as simply the latest lieutenant out the door in the Burnett Dynasty’s closing act. Yet, his influence was never confined to any single office or quarterly report. When he got the bump up in 2019, the remit stretched from beach volleyball shows to highbrow docuseries, and included Orion TV’s foray into the drama market. Navigating all that—the chaos, egos, and budget gymnastics—demands both a velvet glove and iron nerves.Yet, even as Poznick recasts himself behind the camera (a showrunner’s eternity, if less visible), the reality ecosystem keeps mutating. Unpredictability might be baked into the DNA of unscripted TV, but this is a particularly intriguing handover. Friedlander’s challenge is either to conjure fresh magic, or just keep the machinery juddering along with enough flair to stave off “just another streamer” fatigue. You’d be forgiven, given the recent Amazon originals hiccups, for wondering which it’ll be.When giants exit a room, their legends balloon in the retelling—one suspects Poznick will join that rarefied group soon, if he hasn’t already. The stories, usually whispered over champagne at wrap parties or barked across industry golf tournaments, will only grow wilder with each retelling. Emily Watson once referenced “thrilling wild tales” as the mark of a true legend; swap stage for studio, and the same holds.If this chapter feels a bit like the series finale of a much-loved, slightly unhinged reality show, that’s probably fitting. Hollywood never dreams in past tense. The masks are forever on standby, the scripts only half-written on napkins in West Hollywood.Will Friedlander’s new regime sparkle, or slip under the weight of its own ambition? Well. That’s one reveal no spoiler can ruin just yet.Roll on, credits—though, as all true fans know, Hollywood’s credits rarely mean it’s time to leave the party.