Sophie Gardiner


Anonymous hits UK with Playground exec leading new prodco

Sophie Gardiner is exiting Playground Television to lead a new production outfit that has True Detective producer Anonymous Content backing it. She will lead Chapter One as managing director, aiming to create high-end television drama and film. LA-based producer and management firm Anonymous, which has been long been connected with a UK launch, is partnering […]

BBC exec joins Playground gang

Long-serving BBC exec Dan Leon has joined London-based producer Playground as head of business affairs and director of operations. The exec spent eleven years with the UK pubcaster, working its rights and business affairs division alongside the drama commissioning and central commercial units, but will now manage Playground’s strategic growth and day-to-day operations. At the […]

Fifty Fathoms exec joins Playground in rejig

Fifty Fathoms’s head of development, Melissa Gallant, is joining Wolf Hall producer Playground Entertainment, which has restructured its UK team. Gallant has been named creative director at Playground, where she will work alongside Katie Draper, who has been promoted to the same position. At the same time, existing Playground creative director Sophie Gardiner (pictured) has […]

Callender’s Playground ups two

Colin Callender’s drama prodco Playground has upped Scott Huff (left) and Elsye Dolbec (below right), and said it wants to expand its slate of US scripted projects. Huff becomes senior VP, development and production, overseeing Playground’s drama slate, and Dolbec becomes director of development, working with Huff on TV and theatre projects. Huff exec produces […]

Playground developing refugee crisis drama

Drama producer Playground Entertainment has secured rights to The New Odyssey – The Story of Europe’s Refugee Crisis, which comes from journalist Patrick Kingsley. Transatlantic prodco Playground is developing the property into a “major new TV series” through its UK office after signing an option deal with Guardian News and Media. Kingsley was in 2015 […]