Facebook’s Head of Development and Programming Departs Amid Pivot
Mina Lefevre, who was the Head of Development and Programming at Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has left the company as part of the latest round of layoffs. Lefevre, who was formerly the EVP and Head of Scripted at MTV, was responsible for developing several original series for Facebook, including Sorry For Your Loss and Sacred Lies. However, Facebook has scaled back its original programming efforts and is now focusing on creating VR experiences in Meta Horizon Worlds that can be deployed across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
None of the remaining FB Watch Originals, including Red Table Talk, are coming back for new seasons as the company is getting out of that business. Instead, FB Watch will remain as a video player for such content, while members of Lefevre’s team, including Thomas Stockwell, will work on original programming with an emphasis on VR-first shows. Examples of the type of original specials Meta is leaning into going forward include The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience and Eli Roth horror Halloween and Valentine’s Day specials.
Facebook’s Pivot Away from Originals
Facebook’s pivot away from original programming is following in the footsteps of fellow tech giant Google, whose YouTube division did the same last year, refocusing its efforts on user-generated content. Lefevre developed several unscripted/talk original series for Facebook, including Steve on Watch with Steve Harvey and Piece of Mind with Taraji P. Henson. She also developed youth-skewing series for Messenger’s Watch Together, including Cardi Tries with Cardi B and Post Malone’s Celebrity World Pong League, as well as social media shows featuring the likes of Sway House, Collab Crib, and Shluv Family for Instagram.
On the scripted side, Lefevre developed an adaptation of podcast Limetown with Jessica Biel and Stanley Tucci, as well as Sorry For Your Loss and Sacred Lies and its spinoff Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones. However, Facebook is now shifting its focus to VR experiences, and none of the remaining FB Watch Originals, including Red Table Talk, are coming back for new seasons.
Meta’s Future Plans
Meta’s future plans include creating VR experiences that can be deployed across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The company is leaning into original specials, such as The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience and Eli Roth horror Halloween and Valentine’s Day specials. Meta is following in the footsteps of Google’s YouTube division, which refocused its efforts on user-generated content last year. Lefevre, who was responsible for developing several original series for Facebook, including Sorry For Your Loss and Sacred Lies, has left the company as part of the latest round of layoffs.