Editing ABC Signature (section)

=== {{anchor|Touchstone}} Touchstone Television (ABC subsidiary) ===
In late 1999, Walt Disney Television Studios (also called Buena Vista Television Group or Buena Vista Television Productions), were transferred from the Disney Studios to the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC Television Network]] to merge with ABC's primetime division, ABC Entertainment, forming the ABC Entertainment Television Group. By then, the Walt Disney Television label was dropped and all primetime programming produced by Disney would use the "Touchstone Television" name.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hofmeister|first=Sallie|date=July 8, 1999|title=Disney Plans to Consolidate Two of Its Television Groups|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-08-fi-53934-story.html|access-date=5 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hofmeister|first=Sallie|date=July 9, 1999|title=Disney Combining Network TV Operations Into One ABC Unit|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-09-fi-54430-story.html|access-date=5 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Schlosser|first=Joe|date=November 29, 1999|title=A Mouse in-house|newspaper=Broadcasting & Cable|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58124095.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011162940/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58124095.html|archive-date=October 11, 2013|accessdate=8 July 2013}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, writer Seth Kurland struck a deal with the studio to produce shows.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=1999-10-08|title=Kurland pacts for three-year overall deal at Touchstone|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/kurland-pacts-for-three-year-overall-deal-at-touchstone-1117756454/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> Following Kurland's deal, writer [[Don Reo]], formerly of ''[[Lenny (TV series)|Lenny]]'' and ''[[Blossom (American TV series)|Blossom]]'' when Witt-Thomas was producing for Disney also struck a deal with the studio.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=2000-01-21|title=Reo, Touchstone TV ink deal|url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/reo-touchstone-tv-ink-deal-1117761157/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> Around the same time, Touchstone Television sold the series, ''[[Daddio]]'' to NBC. The program lasted only nine episodes before NBC cancelled it.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=1999-07-29|title=Peacock orders laffer from Touchstone trio|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/peacock-orders-laffer-from-touchstone-trio-1117744313/|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2000, Touchstone Television created two departments for comedy in September, and a department for drama in December.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=December 14, 2000 |title=Touchstone takes dramatic step |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/touchstone-takes-dramatic-step-1117790610/ |access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref> Touchstone Television had infamously left the production of the CBS series ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'' in 2000, fearing it was a flop and sold Disney's interest in the series to [[Alliance Atlantis]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=2000-06-23|title=Touchstone seeking exit from Eye deal|url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/touchstone-seeking-exit-from-eye-deal-1117782992/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first1=Michael|last1=Schneider|date=2000-08-09|title=Eye's maple-leaf alliance|url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/eye-s-maple-leaf-alliance-1117784817/|access-date=2021-08-06|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> By 2001, Steve McPherson signed on as president of the television unit.<ref>{{Cite web|first1=Michael|last1=Schneider|date=2001-07-11|title=TV set in T'Stone|url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/tv-set-in-t-stone-1117802548/|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> While two of their pilots were in consideration to be picked up by ABC in April 2003, [[Tollin/Robbins Productions]] signed a two-year development deal with Touchstone Television, which included a two-year option, shares in profits and outside sales.<ref>{{Cite news |last=James |first=Meg |date=April 18, 2003 |title=Disney Lures 'Smallville' Team to Touchstone |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-apr-18-fi-touch18-story.html |access-date=November 13, 2014}}</ref>

In 2004, ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' creator [[J. J. Abrams|J.J. Abrams]] and his [[Bad Robot]] production company had struck a development deal with Touchstone Television to produce television series.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=2004-02-04|title=Staying in Touchstone|url=https://variety.com/2004/tv/markets-festivals/staying-in-touchstone-1117899524/|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> Also that year, [[Marc Cherry]] signed a development deal at the studio.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=2004-12-06|title=Touchstone picks Cherry|url=https://variety.com/2004/tv/markets-festivals/touchstone-picks-cherry-1117914422/|access-date=2021-11-07|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> The following year, [[Russo brothers|the Russo brothers]] has struck a two-year deal with the studio,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Adalian|first=Josef|date=2005-06-22|title='Arrested' duo locked up by Touchstone TV|url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/markets-festivals/arrested-duo-locked-up-by-touchstone-tv-1117924828/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> with veteran writer and producer [[Steven Bochco]], who had produced several shows for ABC, signing a deal with the studio that same year to produce future shows.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=2005-09-25|title=Touchstone is 'Blue' man's group|url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/markets-festivals/touchstone-is-blue-man-s-group-1117929657/|access-date=2021-08-17|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2006, [[Marti Noxon]] struck a deal with the studio to produce shows.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=2006-04-13|title='Buffy' scribe slays TV deal|url=https://variety.com/2006/scene/markets-festivals/buffy-scribe-slays-tv-deal-1117941450/|access-date=2021-08-22|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>