EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of the Season 2 renewal for The Five Star Weekend, creator, executive producer and showrunner Bekah Brunstetter has signed an overall deal with the studio behind the breakout Peacock series, Universal Global Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Under the pact, Brunstetter’s first overall agreement, she will develop and produce shows exclusively for UGT targeting various platforms.
Brunstetter is currently working on a second season of The Five Star Weekend, starring Jennifer Garner, whose original installment based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestseller became Peacock’s most watched scripted original to date. Brunstetter executive produces the series, which catapulted Hilderbrand’s novel back onto New York Times’ bestseller list, with Sue Naegle, Ali Krug, Minkie Spiro, Garner, Liz Benjamin and Hilderbrand.
“Bekah writes wonderfully complex characters, as demonstrated by the audiences drawn to The Five Star Weekend,” said Beatrice Springborn, President of Universal Global Television. “Her talent is matched by an incredible work ethic and a true spirit of collaboration. We’re excited to continue championing Bekah’s extraordinary storytelling.”
Brunstetter is a TV writer and a playwright. She spent three seasons as writer-producer on Dan Fogelman’s NBC hit This Is Us, sharing in three of the show’s Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominations. She also served as co-executive producer on Molly Smith Metzler’s popular Netflix limited series Maid and Sirens.
On the theatre front, Brunstetter wrote the book for the musical adaptation of The Notebook, earning a Tony nomination in 2024. Her play The Cake has been produced over 100 times worldwide and ran off-Broadway at Manhattan Theater Club.
“After so many wonderful yet unpredictable years as a playwright and TV writer, I’m so humbled and honored by this opportunity to make Universal Global Television my creative home,” Brunstetter said. “I’m thrilled to not just make more of The Five Star Weekend, but also to explore new projects, expanding my love of juicy, hopeful stories into other genres and worlds. I feel so inspired by UGT’s eye for great storytelling and can’t wait to see what we cook up together.”
Brunstetter is repped by WME, The Shuman Company and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.