Mark Burnett
James Mark Burnett (born 17 July 1960) is a British television producer and author who is the former Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group. He created The Apprentice, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? and Shark Tank, and produced the reality shows Survivor, The Voice, Beat Shazam, and Generation Gap.
Mark Burnett | |
|---|---|
Burnett in 2009 | |
| Born | James Mark Burnett 17 July 1960 London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Television producer, executive producer, author |
| Spouses | Kym Gold
(m. 1988; div. 1989)Dianne J. Burnett (née Valentine)
(m. 1992; div. 2006) |
| Children | 3 |
Television series produced by Burnett have been nominated for a total of 151 Emmys. He has personally won twelve Emmy Awards, five Producers Guild of America Awards, ten Critics' Choice Television Awards, and nine People's Choice Awards. As of 2024, Burnett is the executive producer of five current network television shows, as well as several cable series. For five consecutive years, Burnett has been included in the Variety500, an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry.
Under Burnett's leadership, MGM has expanded its cable TV business through the acquisitions of Evolution Media (Botched, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Real Housewives of Orange County) and of Big Fish Entertainment (Live PD and Black Ink Crew).
Burnett co-created and produced the Christian media series The Bible and A.D. The Bible Continues, and produced the feature films Son of God, Little Boy, Woodlawn, and Ben-Hur. He has authored ten books.