Natalie Humphreys


BBC Studios names factual chief

UK pubcaster the BBC has gone in-house to appoint its first director of factual for its new BBC Studios production arm. Current controller of business for factual and daytime Lisa Opie has been named in the role, following the appointment of Roger Leatham, who became director of entertainment, music and events recently, and Nick Betts […]

BBC Studios exodus continues with unscripted exits

The lead BBC exec at motoring series Top Gear is the latest senior staffer to leave the British broadcaster’s new studios arm. Katie Taylor (left), who also oversees Strictly Come Dancing at the UK pubcaster, is leaving her role as head of entertainment, music and events at BBC Studios. News of her departure came on […]

BBC names Studios management

UK pubcaster the BBC has set out its senior management plans at its soon-to-launch production arm BBC Studios. Peter Salmon will run the division, which has proved controversial and been opposed by commercial rival ITV and producers group Pact. Mark Freeland will oversee drama and comedy. Factual will sit under Natalie Humphreys with natural history […]

PBS, BBC in ‘ambitious’ factual partnership

Pubcasters from both sides of the Atlantic Sea have com together to coproduce a slate of “ambitious factual specials”, including a new Sir David Attenborough title. The coproduction agreement will America’s BBC and the UK’s BBC, plus the latter’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, create between eight and ten programming special comprising around 20 hours a […]

Freeland grabs top BBC in-house production role

The BBC’s controller of comedy production Mark Freeland has been promoted to a new role overseeing in-house production for drama, entertainment and comedy. Freeland in part replaces the departing BBC chief creative officer Pat Younge, with Natalie Humphreys recently appointed controller, factual production, to take on Younge’s other previous duties at the UK pubcaster. In […]

BBC gets new daytime factual head

UK broadcaster the BBC has gone in-house to find a new head of daytime production. Jeff Anderson, currently editor of BBC One’s consumer rights series Watchdog (pictured), will take up the role, in which he will assume creative control of around 200 hours of daytime programming. He will oversee a daytime development team in Cardiff […]