Sky Studios has bolstered its UK Drama Commissioning team with two new hires: Executive Producer Sam Hoyle and Head of Development Tilly Coulson.

Hoyle and Coulson both report into Gabriel Silver, Director of Commissioning, Drama, Sky Studios.

In her new role as Executive Producer, Sam Hoyle will develop new projects and oversee all elements of the production process on a range of new and returning dramas, including the recently announced Sky Original, Lockerbie.

Before joining Sky Studios, Hoyle worked as an Executive Producer at Netflix and prior to that, was Co-Executive Producer on Doctor Who (BBC), when Jodie Whittaker was introduced as The Doctor. Hoyle was also the Associate Producer and Script Executive on all three series of the BAFTA-winning show, Broadchurch (ITV).

In a new role as Head of Development, Tilly Coulson will spearhead drama development for Sky Studios’ commissioned slate, accelerating existing projects and generating new developments.

Coulson will act as a key contact for the independent producer community with Sky Studios, alongside working to identify and nurture new and underrepresented writing talent, including overseeing the Sky Table Reads.

Prior to Sky Studios, Coulson was Senior Development Executive at Working Title Films with credits including Rebecca, King of Thieves and Johnny English Strikes Again.

Most recently, she developed and served as Executive Producer overseeing production on Lena Dunham’s medieval, coming-of-age comedy, Catherine, Called Birdy (Amazon), and true-life story The Swimmers (Netflix), written by Jack Thorne and Sally El Hosaini.

Upcoming Sky Original dramas include The Rising, the first series produced entirely in-house by Sky Studios, The Midwich Cuckoos, starring Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley, The Lazarus Project, starring Paapa Essideu, and the season two return of Gangs of London, later in 2022.