
WHY THIS MATTERS: Warren Littlefield has attained considerable success as a producer after a long run in broadcast TV leadership.
Warren Littlefield
The biggest surprise to come out of the Emmys last fall was the winner for outstanding drama.
Up against such heavyweight series as House of Cards, Stranger Things and This Is Us, it was The Handmaid's Tale, airing on a mostly unheralded Hulu, that won for outstanding drama series, one of eight Emmys and a Golden Globe Award won by the show.
At the helm of the wildly popular if decidedly sullen series, based on Margaret Atwood's novel about a society where women are harshly oppressed, is producer Warren Littlefield. The 65-year-old TV veteran promises a more ambitious season two for Handmaid's Tale, where women characters are taking out to the dismal Colonies of Gilead, as the totalitarian republic is known. I'm pretty damn excited about what we attempted to do in season two, he said.
In another lifetime, Littlefield was president of NBC Entertainment, overseeing a batch of shows from another era that included ER, Seinfeld and Friends. These days, he's the rare producer who steers two critically acclaimed series Handmaid's Tale and FX's Fargo.
A number of producers have had multiple hits simultaneously, Old Dominion University assistant professor of communication Myles McNutt said, but they are typically in easily replicated genres such as procedurals or comic book shows. Littlefield has helped shepherd two complex and risky adaptations to intense critical acclaim in a genre of prestige drama that is increasingly competitive in this era of peak TV.
Each project faced specific challenges, as well as intense expectation from fans of the original work and, especially with Handmaid's Tale, the pressures of effectively establishing Hulu as a provider of original dramatic television, McNutt said. That each show managed to rise to these challenges is a testament to the hard work of all involved, but that both managed it is a specific testament to Littlefield as a producer.
While today's elite show producers bring a wide range of attributes to a series, none can boast the background that Littlefield has. His success running NBC, say those who have worked with him, provides Littlefield with the unique ability to inspire and lead creative people cast members, writers or producers. It makes for a winning formula on the set.
Hands-On on Handmaid's'
Besides a venture out to the frightful colonies, the new season of Handmaid's also shows how America turns into despotic Gilead. Littlefield promises moments of mass panic as the nation shifts to its tyrannical state.
Of course, America too has shifted during the show's short run, with women speaking out against harassment and assault through the #MeToo movement. I wish we were not as relevant as we are, Littlefield said. But we are.
He is quick to attribute much of the show's success to star Elisabeth Moss, who plays Offred, and is an executive producer as well. He noted how simply training a camera on Moss' face, with no other actors in the frame and no dialogue, moves the story. Just having the camera on her face has tremendous impact, Littlefield said.
His fellow producers describe Littlefield as very hands-on in all aspects of the show. Warren leaves his mark on every aspect of The Handmaid's Tale he was central to finding our creative team, including [director] Reed Morano and [cinematographer] Colin Watkinson, showrunner Bruce Miller said. He is involved in the show from the very first story meetings to the final episode sound mix. The mark Warren leaves on the show is originality, quality and courageous vision.
[Hulu Gets Sponsors for Season 2 of Handmaids Tale ]
Figuring Out Fargo'
The producers on Handmaid's Tale can only hope to match the awards output Fargo has cranked out over the years. Littlefield is similarly hands-on with Fargo, a project he actually sought to bring to air at NBC in the '90s, resulting in a good but not great script and nothing more.
Eric Schrier, president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions, noted how some non-writing producers don't get their hands dirty on the set. Recalling him ironing out even the most minute details in frigid Calgary last winter for season three of Fargo, Schrier said Littlefield whom he dubs a wise sage is clearly not in that group. With his knowledge of ratings, marketing and TV critics, among other tricky aspects of the business, Littlefield's input makes life easier for the other producers.
He's done a spectacular job, Schrier said. Warren makes sure the show is produced at a caliber that is above the rest.
[TCA 2018: FXs Landgraf Talks Louis C.K., Disney and Peak TV ]
The fourth season of Fargo will air next year. That, and Handmaid's Tale, will keep Littlefield plenty busy for the foreseeable future. Bruce [Miller] feels he has many, many more stories to tell, said Littlefield. My cup runneth over right now.
Besides being critics' favorites, there are other similarities between Handmaid's Tale and Fargo. Both are produced by MGM. (FX Productions also produces Fargo.) Littlefield said both series push the audience with complex narratives and characters. He also mentions a high level of storytelling that seems to keep viewers hooked.
I don't see any reason to pull back or dumb it down in any way, he said. The audience is quite smart. We try to keep them on their toes, and that keeps us on our toes.
Top of the Rock
Back at NBC, Littlefield headed up the comedy department, developing The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, among other sitcom hits. Moving up to president of entertainment, he brought the network to first place,
Most recent headlines
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
17/12/2025
KPop Demon Hunters Stars Visit Berklee for Weeklong Celebration Andrew Choi and EJAE, who voiced the film's main characters and contributed to its soundtr...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
The Hao AI Lab research team at the University of California San Diego - at the forefront of pioneering AI model innovation - recently received an NVIDIA DGX B...
17/12/2025
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
Three 12-kilowatt Advanced Electric Propulsion System thrusters, supplied by L3Harris Technologies, form the core of Gateway's propulsion system. Pictured i...
16/12/2025
The challenge facing America's defense industrial base is not just about speed - its about rebuilding the foundation that makes speed possible. Our nations ...
16/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
16/12/2025
SEVILLE, Spain Canal Sur, the public broadcasting service for Andalusia, Spain, has completed a total technology refresh based on Pebble's resilient, softwa...
16/12/2025
NEW YORK Teleprompting hardware provider Telescript International has acquired all software code and intellectual property previously owned by Telescript West. ...
16/12/2025
As cable operators face increased competition from 5G fixed wireless access providers, a new report from Ookla Research finds that T-Mobile is the FWA speed lea...
16/12/2025
Apple has announced a major upgrade to the Apple TV app for device owners outside the Apple ecosystem with news that the Apple TV app for Android now supports G...
16/12/2025
Space42 grows Direct-to-Device partner ecosystem through a Memorandum of Underst...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Emma Appleton, Fares Fares, Frida Gustavsson and Jakob Oftebro...
16/12/2025
Back to All News
Docu-reality My Korean Boyfriend Gets a Trailer and Premiere D...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Harlem Globetrotters Celebrate 100th Anniversary With New Brand Campaign From Th...
15/12/2025
Top L-R: La Tierra Del Valor (The Home of the Brave), Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawe...
15/12/2025
L3Harris will leverage 15 years of experience supporting the E-4B Nightwatch and...
15/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the loss of federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and operational changes, the statewide pub...
15/12/2025
BOULDER, Colo. Public Media Venture Group (PMVG), Venture Technologies Group (VTG), and WQED have completed a multipart agreement that they say will significant...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
How Rivian s Design Puts Drivers First-And Why That Matters Published on Dec 15, 2025 Categories: Business Solutions
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Sha...
15/12/2025
Space42 and Cobham Satcom completed the full range of advanced terminals for the...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
NVIDIA today announced it has acquired SchedMD - the leading developer of Slurm, an open-source workload management system for high-performance computing (HPC) ...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
15/12/2025
Modern workflows showcase the endless possibilities of generative and agentic AI on PCs.
Of many, some examples include tuning a chatbot to handle product-supp...