Friday was comedy production veteran Joel Hornstock’s last day at 20th Century Fox TV, and the studio threw the beloved executive a going-away party, completed with a Farewell to the King banner.
Hornstock, a 29-year studio veteran and its most senior comedy production executive, took the voluntary buyout package last spring but remained as a consultant for the past several months to train his successors.
On Friday afternoon, more than 100 executives, producers, actors, crew and alumni of Fox shows, as well as Hornstock’s family, gathered on New Girl’s barroom set on Stage 19 to celebrate his career at the studio.
New Girl producer Erin O’Malley, Joel Hornstock, daughter Jenna Hornstock and son, UTA’s Josh Hornstock
There was a tribute reel featuring shout-outs from comedy series that Hornstock has overseen production on, including Modern Family, New Girl, Speechless, The Last Man on Earth, Fresh Off the Boat, Last Man Standing and Life in Pieces. It featured several references to Joel’s mantra that “crane shots aren’t funny” — including the New Girl cast and crew — who, after wishing him well, waved as the camera pulled back on the crane.
Said one of Horstrock’s colleagues, “He is already dearly missed.”