Leading factual execs Colin Barr and Amy Flanagan are to join Peter Fincham and Tim Hincks’s new production company Expectation.
Expectation launched last month focused on non-scripted and scripted programming.
Barr joins Expectation as Creative Director, Factual and Factual Drama from his position as Creative Director at Minnow Films. He previously worked as a Director and Executive Producer at the BBC.
Flanagan has been appointed Creative Director, Factual and joins from her role as Deputy Head of Factual at Channel 4, where she has been responsible for shows such as The Murder Dectives; My Son the Jihadi, The Romanians Are Coming and Hunted.
Co-CEO of Expectation, Tim Hincks, said: “Peter and I believe there are huge opportunities in factual storytelling – but you have to have the very best talent. We believe Amy and Colin are the best of the best. The idea that they can join us and not just make the best factual shows as individuals, but also collaborate on projects together, is a dream come true. We’re so lucky they’re joining us.”
At Minnow, Barr oversaw an expansion of the business that took it from reputational singles like How to Die: Simon’s Choice and Abused: The Untold Story, into series such as The Detectives and American Justice and the company’s first foray into TV drama with BBC One’s Damilola: Our Loved Boy, Channel 4’s The Watchman and the BBC Three musical, Glasgow Girls.
He also steered the company into the Constructed/Format territory with Channel 4 series SAS: Who Dares Wins and the spin-off series Spies.
Barr said: “The chance to work with Peter and Tim and to help build Expectation into one of the most exciting and respected producers in the country, was just too good to refuse. They’re assembling a brilliant team of talent which I’m very proud – and just a little awed – to be joining. It feels like the perfect time to be creating a company that is truly cross-genre and collaborative and genuinely more than the sum of its parts.”
Flanagan has been at Channel 4 since 2014. Previously, she worked at the Garden Productions making Bedlam and Keeping Britain Alive, and the first series of 24 Hours in A&E. Other credits include The Victorian Sex Explorer with Rupert Everett, The Artful Codgers, Last Days of the Raj and Feltham Sings, all for Channel 4.
Flanagan said: “Spending the last three years at Channel 4 has been a brilliant experience – it’s been a total privilege to work with so many incredibly talented people both inside and outside the building. But I miss production and I’m very excited to be re-joining the indie world at Expectation alongside Peter, Tim, Colin and the team.”
Expectation has previously announced Nick Mather and Nick Samwell-Smith as Creative Directors, Entertainment; with Nerys Evans joining as Creative Director, Comedy in April. Barr and Flanagan join Expectation later in the year.
Hincks, the former president of Endemol Shine, and Fincham, the former ITV director of television, started work on putting together their new indie last year.
Staff Reporter
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