Dana Whitaker

Grew Up… loving sports. Her younger brother is a professional football player in the NFL, and Dana is extremely proud of him. Dana and Casey McCall, her co-worker, have been friends since they met in college.   

Living… pretty much in the Sports Night offices, because that’s how dedicated she is to her job.But other than that, somewhere in New York City.

Profession… executive producer of Sports Night, a daily sports news and highlights show, on the Continental Sports Channel. Dana’s job is to make sure the show happens, but not just any show – a good show. Luckily for her, the show’s co-anchors – Casey and Dan Rydell – are talented, conscientious writers with a terrific on-air rapport. The members of the Sports Night crew all respect Dana, even if that respect comes at the cost of some teasing banter. 

Interests… the lives of her co-workers, both in and out of the office. Dana likes relaxing with them at Anthony’s, the crew’s local bar. Because as much as Dana loves being the boss, she also loves them as more than simply co-workers.

Relationship Status… dating around, but no one really special has caught her eye. That will all change if Dana’s friend and co-worker Natalie has anything to do with it. Natalie is convinced Dana and Casey are secretly attracted to each other, so she’s been trying to push the two of them together however she can now that Casey is divorced.

Challenge… keeping everything running smoothly at Sports Night. Sometimes that means making sure Casey and Dan don’t kill each other before they go on air, but sometimes it means going head to head with network executives who want to change – or cancel – the show.

Personality… witty, loyal, and talented. Dana is great at her job, and she could probably do it anywhere she wanted. The fact that she wants to do it at Sports Night despite the show’s often disappointing ratings and seemingly bleak future is a testament to her devotion. Sports Night is not only her pride and joy, it’s where she found her second family.