Disney Names 2026 Directing Cohort, Shifts to 2-Year Format — SkimNews
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- Disney Entertainment Television selected 8 directors for its 2026-2028 DET Directing Program scripted cohort and restructured that track into a two-year format: year one covers professional development, shadowing and mentorship; year two the participants direct their episode.
- High Potential, The Rookie: North, Scrubs and Shifting Gears (20th Television and ABC) and Tracker (20th Television) were added to the scripted series roster, joining existing participating shows 9-1-1, The Rookie and Will Trent.
- The 2026-2028 scripted cohort assigns Kristen Buckels Cantrell to Shifting Gears, Nicole Dorsey to The Rookie: North, Winter Dunn to The Rookie, Melissa Fisher to Will Trent, Talia Light-Rake to Scrubs, Eric Lin to Tracker, Tessa Slovis to High Potential, and Stephanie Turner to 9-1-1.
- The 2026-2027 unscripted cohort includes Diana Horn, Nikki Lazaran, Asa Livingston, Roush Niaghi, Molly Smith and Brittany Thompson, continuing a track that has previously placed directors on American Idol, The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars and Project Runway.
- Hayma Washington, Disney's VP of Creative Talent Development and Inclusion, said the two-year scripted format gives participants "even more time and mentorship to help participants hone their craft, build their networks and step confidently into the creative vision of the shows they're helping bring to life."
- The DET Directing Program, founded in 2001, counts Ryan Coogler (Black Panther franchise, Sinners), Regina King (One Night in Miami…) and Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. (Shōgun) among its notable alumni.
Why it matters: Disney is formally expanding the runway for emerging TV directors from one year to two and slotting 14 new participants onto working series, which means the cohort gets deeper set access before stepping behind the camera. The roster additions — network anchors like Scrubs, Tracker and High Potential — give the cohort visibility on high-profile shows rather than niche slots.
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