BBC Studios is expanding its high-end scripted content business with the creation of BBC Studios Fiction. Current Comedy lead Josh Cole has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer of Fiction and Comedy.
BBC Studios Fiction will be a “powerhouse” within BBC Studios Productions, dedicated to developing original and authored stories. Cole will lead the new venture together with BBC Studios Comedy, which has a slate including murder mystery Death Valley, comedy thriller Black Ops, Apple TV+ romcom Trying, Channel 4’s upcoming Break Clause, Amazon Prime Video’s Good Omens and the multi-BAFTA winning Inside No. 9.
Producers Michael Parke and Andrew Morrissey (Time, Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story, Smother) will join BBC Studios Fiction from River Pictures as Creative Directors, bringing with them a slate of projects.
Siân O’Callaghan, currently Director of Production for Drama, will also become Director of Production for BBC Studios Fiction & Comedy – now overseeing the strategic and business planning of all BBC Studios non-label scripted productions.
The new business will operate from London, Liverpool and Glasgow. It will sit alongside and complement BBC Studios Drama, led by Kate Oates, scripted production labels Clerkenwell Films, Firebird Pictures, Sid Gentle Films Ltd, Lookout Point, House Productions and Baby Cow – and BBC Studios invested independent producers.
Josh Cole, Chief Creative Officer of BBC Studios Fiction & Comedy, said: “Building BBC Studios Comedy into a home for brilliant, genre-defining voices has been a joy, and now, creating BBC Studios Fiction and joining forces with Michael and Andrew means we can take that ambition and spirit to new creative horizons. It’s an exciting moment for us.”
Mark Linsey, MD of Scripted at BBC Studios, added: “This is a bold step forward for our scripted business. Under Josh’s leadership, BBC Studios Comedy has gone from strength to strength. BBC Studios Fiction allows us to build on that success and broaden our creative horizons. Welcoming Michael and Andrew, with their exceptional track record and compelling slate, is a fantastic boost to our ambitions.”
Jon Creamer
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