BBC taps FremantleMedia for factual chief

The BBC has poached the managing director of FremantleMedia UK’s prodco Boundless to become head of commissioning for documentaries at the UK pubcaster.

Patrick Holland (pictured) will join the BBC’s factual commissioning team later this year, coming in as divisional boss Emma Swain takes a year secondment to plot the outline of the new, commercially-focused BBC Studios.

He comes in as one of three factual commissioning editors being sought after a restructure in January, which saw four roles made redundant.

Holland’s role was to originally include current affairs, but with the genre no longer set to go through BBC Studios this part of the role has been dropped.

The move leaves Boundless needing an MD. A FremantleMedia UK spokeswoman told TBI a recruitment process was underway, but that Holland would remain in charge until his exit.

“It is a huge privilege and a massive challenge to be asked to lead BBC documentary commissioning,” said Holland, a former factual chief at Warner Bros.-owned Ricochet. “I have loved building my team at Boundless, but this opportunity is my dream job.

“I am really looking forward to working with the BBC commissioning team, the indie sector and in-house to develop the very best ideas that challenge, provoke and entertain the audience.”

Holland is known for BBC factual and fact-ent series shows such asAn Hour to Save Your Life for BBC Two and World’s Toughest Jobs for BBC Three.