Mark Stern

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

Stern was named Executive Vice President of Original Programming, Syfy in November 2003. Reporting directly to Syfy President Dave Howe, Stern oversees all original programming for the Channel, including scripted drama and comedy series, longform and unscripted alternative and reality. In June 2008 he was made a Co-Head (along with Jeff Wachtel) of Original Content for the new cable studio, Universal Cable Productions, reporting directly to Bonnie Hammer, president of the studio and NBCU Cable Entertainment.

Since joining the Channel in 2002, Stern and his team have cemented Syfy's reputation as a developer and producer of quality, critically acclaimed, award-winning original programming. The Channel's most successful shows have all been produced under his tenure including "Battlestar Galactica," "Stargate: Atlantis," "Eureka," "Ghost Hunters," "Ghost Hunters International," and the record-breaking miniseries "Tin Man." Stern is also overseeing the launch of a new crop of series, including "Warehouse 13," "Stargate: Universe," and "Battlestar" prequel "Caprica," coming in early 2010.

Stern came to 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.