Dan Grabiner & Nicola Hill’s Orchard Studios hires BBC commissioner & ITN producer

Clare Mottershead (Source: Orchard Films)

BBC factual entertainment commissioner Clare Mottershead and ITN exec Nat Lippiett have joined Orchard Studios, the UK prodco launched by former Amazon Studios UK & Northern Europe chief Dan Grabiner.

Lippiett, who was behind Harry: The Interview last year and Prime Video’s docuseries The Confession, becomes head of programmes at Orchard, which was founded by Grabiner in September with former The Garden’s former co-CEO Nicola Hill.

Dan Grabiner (Source: Orchard Studios)

Mottershead, meanwhile, has been named Orchard’s head of factual & formats, having most recently been the BBC’s lead commissioner for fact entertainment and events, where she had been for six years.

During that time, the former Dragonfly exec was behind shows including Interior Design Masters and Hugh’s War On Plastic, as well as Amanda And Alan’s Italian Job. She also oversaw heritage brands including The Antiques Roadshow and Countryfile.

Orchard has also hired Dani Carpanen to become senior producer. Her credits include The Baby Borrowers, The Restaurant and Hospital, as well as Disney+’s Save Our Squad With David Beckham and Nat Geo’s One Day in America.

Grabiner, who ran development at UK-based ITN for seven years before Amazon, said the trio offered “knockout track records in developing, producing and launching bold, innovative unscripted programming”, with his ciompany focused on creating “factual-entertainment formats and impactful box-set documentaries.”

Mottershead added: “Being a commissioner is a privileged job and I’ve been doubly lucky to have had an incredible team at the BBC and the chance to work with so many talented production companies.

Nat Lippiett (Source: Orchard Studios)

“But I’m ready for my next challenge and am hugely excited about joining the team at Orchard and helping to grow a slate of creatively ambitious and distinctive ideas of scale.”

Orchard, which has been backed by an unnamed private media investment group, is led by CEO Grabiner, with Hill overseeing operations, production management and business affairs.

Grabiner was replaced at Amazon Studios by Tara Erer, who was most recently head of local original movies for Amazon Studios in the UK.

He had initially joined to head up Amazon’s UK unscripted slate, before being upped in 2021 to take on scripted output as well.

Hill spent a decade at The Garden before departing the ITV Studios-owned company in March, having overseen 24 Hours in Police Custody, Real PD, 24 Hours in A&E and the Studio Lambert Netflix co-production Squid Game: The Challenge.