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| Formerly | Brillstein/Grey Entertainment (1986–1994) Brillstein/Grey Communications (1994–2007) |
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| Industry | Talent and literary agencies |
| Predecessor | The Brillstein Company (1969–1992) |
| Founded | 1986; 39 years ago (1986) |
| Founders | Bernie Brillstein Brad Grey |
| Headquarters | Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
Key people |
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| Members | 200 clients |
| Parent | Wasserman (2023–present) |
| Website | www |
Brillstein Entertainment Partners (formerly known asBrillstein/Grey Entertainment andBrillstein/Grey Communications) is atalent management firm andtelevision production company formed by the 1986 addition ofBrad Grey to The Brillstein Company, founded byBernie Brillstein in 1969. On September 18, 2023, it was announced thatCasey Wasserman'seponymous company had acquired BEP.[1]
Bernie Brillstein formed The Brillstein Company in 1969, where he continued to manage stars and develop television programming, a career he began in the fabledmailroom of theWilliam Morris Agency. He produced such popular television hits asHee Haw,The Muppet Show,[2] andSaturday Night Live.[3]
Brillstein managedSaturday Night Live cast membersGilda Radner,John Belushi, andLorne Michaels, as well asJim Henson (ofThe Muppets fame) andPaul Fusco (voice and operator ofALF). Productions for television includedALF: The Animated Series andNormal Life.
In 1981, the company produced its first ever television series,Open All Night, under Freeway Productions.[4]
In 1986,Lorimar-Telepictures bought out The Brillstein Company, whereas they would have to transform it into an independently operated and management unit of the studio.[5]
The company became Brillstein Entertainment Partners after Brad Grey left the company to become the head ofParamount Pictures. It is now[when?] headed by Jonathan Liebman, Marc Gurvitz, and Cynthia Pett.
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In 1984, Brillstein metBrad Grey at a television convention inSan Francisco. In 1986,[6] the two formed a production company, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, which packaged programming andmanaged talent. In 1991, the company signed a production and distribution deal withSony Pictures Entertainment to produce and distribute films and programs produced by the company.[7][8] In 1994, Brillstein-Grey had reached a deal with Capital Cities/ABC to start Brillstein-Grey Communications.[9]
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The new management companyEric Murphy joins inHBO'sEntourage is based on Brillstein Entertainment, as well as the character Murray Berenson based on the company's founderBernie Brillstein.
Brillstein sold his shares in the company toUniversal Pictures in 1996, giving Grey, his one time protégé, full rein over operations.[10] In 1998, the Brillstein-Grey Communications division was renamed to Brillstein-Grey Television afterABC took back its shares in the company. Before that, Buena Vista Television picked up syndication rights toC-16: FBI, before the series was cancelled.[11]
In 1999, Universal sold Brillstein's shares to Grey, and the company's television unit was subsequently rechristened Brad Grey Television as a result. Also, Brad Grey Television struck a deal withColumbia TriStar Television to produce and distribute television shows.[12] Briefly, in 1999, it became Basic Entertainment,[13] before reverting to its original name in 2000.[14]
In 2002, Brad Grey Pictures was shut down, and it was replaced byPlan B Entertainment.[15] Also that year, the company's television unit secured a distribution deal with20th Century Fox Television.[16] Grey sold his interest in the company in 2005[3] due to his succeedingSherry Lansing asChief executive officer ofParamount Pictures, which created aconflict of interest, and also that year, secured a deal withTouchstone Television.[17] In 2007, the company became the current Brillstein Entertainment Partners.[18]
Several shows by the company now have ancillary rights owned byNBCUniversal Television and Streaming. Some of these shows are distributed bySony Pictures Television in North America.
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