FremantleMedia UK’s factual entertainment label Boundless has appointed a range of senior members including Betty’s former chief, Neil Smith (pictured), who will replace Hannah Wyatt. Smith, the former joint managing director at Betty, has been named MD at The Apprentice prodco Boundless, and will report to Liam Humphreys, CEO at FremantleMedia UK Unscripted. He joins […]
Bear Grylls: Mission Survive prodco Betty has hired Alex Menzies from UK broadcaster Channel 4 (C4) after last week’s news of a management rejig. Menzies has filled the chief creative officer post that was created when All3Media-owned Betty confirmed joint managing directors Matthew Littleford and Neil Smith were exiting, as TBI revealed at the time. […]
Matthew Littleford and Neil Smith are leaving their posts as joint managing directors of All3Media-owned factual prodco Betty, TBI can reveal. The pair has been in the roles at the Bear Grylls: Mission Survive producer since June 2015, but will leave in July. A new chief creative officer will be appointed to lead the business. […]
Discovery Communications-owned indie Betty has hired Optomen Television’s head of development. Damian Pitman will take the same post at the Bear Grylls: Mission Survive producer, where he will work closely with managing director Neil Smith. At Optomen, he helped develop the upcoming primetime series The Miracle for ITV and Employ Me for BBC Two. In […]
UK digital network BBC Three has commissioned a one-off documentary about so-called freak shows. Actor and presenter Adam Pearson, who has a genetic condition that causes non-cancerous tumours to grow along his nerve endings, will explore the world of people who use their medical conditions to educate, entertain and make money in Adam Pearson: Freak […]
Betty TV is opening a US division. The UK prodco is owned by Discovery and the new US unit will be run by Discovery Networks International head of production and development Jon Sechrist. Sechrist (right, below) joins Betty this month and will oversee the current slate and projects in development. Based in New York, he […]
Liz Warner is leaving Discovery Communications-owned producer Betty 14 years after she founded the business. She exits in April and her CEO position will not be replaced, with senior management now reporting into creative director Neil Smith. A director of programmes will additionally be hired. Four years ago, Warner sold Betty to Discovery in what […]
