Mark Cronin
Mark Cronin is one of Hollywood’s most successful and prolific reality television producers. He is widely credited with co-creating the celeb-reality sub-genre with the breakout hit of “The Surreal Life” (The WB) in 2003 in which, Cronin’s comedic tones and production models helped shape the reality TV format still in use in much of today’s reality landscape.
After earning a chemical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Cronin began his professional career in technical research and marketing. While there, he began moonlighting as a freelance writer for "Global Village News," an Ace award-winning news-break spoof on Nick-at-Nite. Cronin switched careers permanently when he joined Howard Stern’s nationally syndicated WWOR Channel 9 TV show, “The Howard Stern Show,” as a writer and producer. He continued to serve on many of Stern’s TV and video projects including “Howard Stern’s New Year’s Rotten Eve 1994” special, which was the highest grossing non-sports pay-per-view event of all time. In 1995, Cronin became the initial head-writer and later show-runner for MTV’s iconic show “Singled Out” starring Jenny McCarthy and Chris Hardwick and went on to create the comedic game show hit “Beat the Geeks” for Comedy Central.
After co-founding the reality production company, Mindless Entertainment, Cronin joined forces with Cris Abrego’s 51 Pictures, to form the reality powerhouse 51 Minds Entertainment in 2004. Under that banner, Cronin created and co-created some of the most popular content in reality television producing such hits as “Flavor of Love,” “Rock of Love,” and “Charm School.” 51 Minds is credited with reviving VH1, setting numerous network and basic cable ratings records and giving the network its largest and most successful lineup of reality TV. In 2008, Endemol USA acquired 51 Minds in one of the largest reality production company sales of all time. Cronin continued to develop new programming for the company, including Bravo’s highest rated series premiere, “Below Deck,” now Emmy-nominated and in pre-production for its eleventh season, as well as the successful spin-offs “Below Deck Mediterranean” currently Emmy-nominated and airing its seventh season, “Below Deck Down Under” which is in production on its second season on Peacock, and “Below Deck Adventure” now in post production.
In 2014 Cronin left 51 Minds and founded Little Wooden Boat Productions. First creating the successful three-season GSN brainteaser game show “Idiotest” and now Bravo’s “Below Deck Sailing Yacht” currently airing its fourth, and in production on its fifth season.
As one of the most innovative creators and producers of reality television, Mark Cronin has founded three successful production companies, and served as show-runner on 46 separate TV series on 13 different networks. He created or co-created 43 series more than half of which went to multiple seasons and 23 of which were spin-offs due to the successes of their original flagship series.