Tom Purcell Promoted To Co-Executive Producer Of 'The Colbert Report'



(Tom Purcell (L) and Eric Drysdale) via daylife)

Primetime Emmy award winner Tom Purcell, who wrote for "Cosby (the working-class themed CBS show, not the one on NBC with Rudy)" has been promoted to Co-Executive Producer of The Colbert Report. He wrote 5 episodes of the much-missed "Cosby (the one where Bill is always at home eating hoagies, not roaming the streets as a detective solving crimes for the NYPD)." From the press release:

"Tom Purcell has been promoted to co-executive producer of 'The Colbert Report,' it was announced today by Stephen Colbert, executive producer, writer and host of the program. Purcell had previously served as supervising producer and head writer. He is flanked by Meredith Bennett and Richard Dahm, also co-exec producers, in this new role.

"'I’ve known Tom since 1989, but we didn’t start working together until 2005. It shows you what a poor judge of talent I am that it took me 16 years to realize he was this brilliant,' Colbert said.

"Purcell has been with 'The Colbert Report' since its launch on October 17, 2005. Last fall, he and his writing team won the show's first Emmy for Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. The series has been nominated in four major categories for three years in a row and last spring, 'The Colbert Report' won a sought-after Peabody® Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Also during his tenure at the show, he has received a Writer’s Guild Award in 2008."

Which brings us to the question: What does a Co-Executive Producer do?