18. J.J. ABRAMS
AGE 42
TITLE Exec producer, Fringe
SMART BECAUSE Every network wants to be in the J.J. business — even after the so-so start for Fox's Fringe, which has been finding its voice and growing
due to his hands-on nurturing. (Getting paired with American Idol in 2009 should lead to an even bigger audience boost.) Movies beckon (Star Trek = drool), but the lucrative deal he signed with Warner Bros. in 2006 will keep Abrams committed to the small screen at least through 2012.
