Comcast-owned Sky Studios has added to its drama team, tapping two new executives and promoting others, Variety can reveal.
In a memo circulated today, drama director Meghan Lyvers confirmed that Bad Wolf producer Ellen Marsh has joined the team as head of series development while UTA’s Megan Spanjian is set to join later this summer as senior executive producer.
Sam Hoyle, who joined last year as an executive producer, has transitioned to the role of commissioning editor, reporting to Katherine Butler. Hoyle will work alongside Paul Gilbert, Manpreet Dosanjh and Sholla Caramba-Coker while Tilly Coulson will continue to head up development for commissioning.
And executive producer Adrian Sturges, whose projects include “Gangs of London” Season 3 and “Cobra” Season 3, has been upped to senior executive producer.
At Bad Wolf, Marsh co-produced the 60th anniversary specials of “Doctor Who” among other projects. She previously worked on “Industry” and “Succession” for HBO.
In a memo circulated today, drama director Meghan Lyvers confirmed that Bad Wolf producer Ellen Marsh has joined the team as head of series development while UTA’s Megan Spanjian is set to join later this summer as senior executive producer.
Sam Hoyle, who joined last year as an executive producer, has transitioned to the role of commissioning editor, reporting to Katherine Butler. Hoyle will work alongside Paul Gilbert, Manpreet Dosanjh and Sholla Caramba-Coker while Tilly Coulson will continue to head up development for commissioning.
And executive producer Adrian Sturges, whose projects include “Gangs of London” Season 3 and “Cobra” Season 3, has been upped to senior executive producer.
At Bad Wolf, Marsh co-produced the 60th anniversary specials of “Doctor Who” among other projects. She previously worked on “Industry” and “Succession” for HBO.
- 6/12/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Katherine Butler and Adrian Sturges join drama team led by UK & Ireland chief Meghan Lyvers.
Sky Studios, the production arm of European pay-tv giant Sky, have added The Ink Factory’s former creative director and the producer of Netflix’s The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself as it ramps up its drama team under UK & Ireland chief Meghan Lyvers.
Katherine Butler has joined the studio as director of drama commissioning for Uk&i, while Adrian Sturges joins as executive producer. Butler effectively replaces Gabriel Silver, who departed in September, and will join in the new year. Sturges takes up his role this month.
Sky Studios, the production arm of European pay-tv giant Sky, have added The Ink Factory’s former creative director and the producer of Netflix’s The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself as it ramps up its drama team under UK & Ireland chief Meghan Lyvers.
Katherine Butler has joined the studio as director of drama commissioning for Uk&i, while Adrian Sturges joins as executive producer. Butler effectively replaces Gabriel Silver, who departed in September, and will join in the new year. Sturges takes up his role this month.
- 12/7/2022
- by John Elmes Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
Sky Studios Hires Drama Chief
Sky Studios has named Preethi Mavahalli as Creative Director, Drama, with a remit to develop and produce a slate of original drama for Sky’s networks and platforms across Europe. Mavahalli moves from Mammoth Screen, producers of Poldark, where she oversaw development and production on a range of series including McDonald & Dodds and Next of Kin for ITV, as well as The City & The City and Nw for BBC Two. She was previously at Film4 and Film London. Mavahalli will join Sky Studios in January 2022 and will report to Chief Content Officer Jane Millichip. Mavahalli’s team will include Executive Producers Kara Manley, Victoria Wharton, Serena Thompson and Beverly Brooker, and she will work alongside Director of Commissioning for Drama, Gabriel Silver.
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Scottish indie Two Rivers Media is accelerating its push into the U.
Sky Studios has named Preethi Mavahalli as Creative Director, Drama, with a remit to develop and produce a slate of original drama for Sky’s networks and platforms across Europe. Mavahalli moves from Mammoth Screen, producers of Poldark, where she oversaw development and production on a range of series including McDonald & Dodds and Next of Kin for ITV, as well as The City & The City and Nw for BBC Two. She was previously at Film4 and Film London. Mavahalli will join Sky Studios in January 2022 and will report to Chief Content Officer Jane Millichip. Mavahalli’s team will include Executive Producers Kara Manley, Victoria Wharton, Serena Thompson and Beverly Brooker, and she will work alongside Director of Commissioning for Drama, Gabriel Silver.
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Scottish indie Two Rivers Media is accelerating its push into the U.
- 9/8/2021
- by Tom Grater and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Sky Studios has appointed Preethi Mavahalli to the newly created role of creative director, drama, reporting into chief content officer Jane Millichip. She will join in Jan. 22.
Mavahalli will have a remit to develop and produce a slate of original drama from Sky Studios in the U.K. Her team will include executive producers Kara Manley, Victoria Wharton, Serena Thompson and Beverly Brooker, and she will work alongside director of commissioning for drama, Gabriel Silver.
Mavahalli will join from indie Mammoth Screen, where she is currently director of drama. At Mammoth, Mavahalli developed and executive produced several hit series including “The Serpent,” “Noughts + Crosses,” and “The War of the Worlds.” Prior to joining Mammoth in 2011, she worked at Film4 and Film London.
Mavahalli said: “I have been watching Sky Original drama go from strength to strength in recent years, constantly raising the bar with ambitious and ground-breaking series. With the launch of Sky Studios,...
Mavahalli will have a remit to develop and produce a slate of original drama from Sky Studios in the U.K. Her team will include executive producers Kara Manley, Victoria Wharton, Serena Thompson and Beverly Brooker, and she will work alongside director of commissioning for drama, Gabriel Silver.
Mavahalli will join from indie Mammoth Screen, where she is currently director of drama. At Mammoth, Mavahalli developed and executive produced several hit series including “The Serpent,” “Noughts + Crosses,” and “The War of the Worlds.” Prior to joining Mammoth in 2011, she worked at Film4 and Film London.
Mavahalli said: “I have been watching Sky Original drama go from strength to strength in recent years, constantly raising the bar with ambitious and ground-breaking series. With the launch of Sky Studios,...
- 9/8/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
HBO Max has released a trailer for “Hacks,” an original series debuting on May 13.
The ten-episode season follows the dark relationship between a legendary Las Vegas comedian and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old.
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder star alongside Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Paul W. Downs, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter and Rose Abdoo.
“Hacks” is created and showrun by Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. Downs, Aniello and Statsky executive produce alongside Michael Schur, David Miner and Morgan Sackett. The studio is Universal Television.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates
Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV Plus have announced that Elliot Page will be featured on the next episode of “The Oprah Conversation,” debuting April 30. “The Oprah Conversation: Elliot Page” will present a deeply honest conversation with the actor, producer and lifelong social justice advocate. In a time when the rights of transgender...
The ten-episode season follows the dark relationship between a legendary Las Vegas comedian and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old.
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder star alongside Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Paul W. Downs, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Johnny Sibilly, Meg Stalter and Rose Abdoo.
“Hacks” is created and showrun by Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. Downs, Aniello and Statsky executive produce alongside Michael Schur, David Miner and Morgan Sackett. The studio is Universal Television.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates
Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV Plus have announced that Elliot Page will be featured on the next episode of “The Oprah Conversation,” debuting April 30. “The Oprah Conversation: Elliot Page” will present a deeply honest conversation with the actor, producer and lifelong social justice advocate. In a time when the rights of transgender...
- 4/28/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
‘Pure’ writer Kirstie Swain will write and exec-produce the eight-episode series.
Sky has unveiled a new slate of original shows for 2020, including a new series from See-Saw Films and Pure writer Kirstie Swain.
The pay-tv operator unveiled six new shows at its Up Next event at the Tate Modern in London on February 12, taking its number of originals to 80 in 2020 – 25% more than last year.
Launches include eight-episode dark comedy Sweetpea for Sky Atlantic, based on C.J. Skuse’s 2017 book, from See-Saw Films and Sky Studios.
Pure writer Kirstie Swain has penned the series, which explores how a seemingly normal...
Sky has unveiled a new slate of original shows for 2020, including a new series from See-Saw Films and Pure writer Kirstie Swain.
The pay-tv operator unveiled six new shows at its Up Next event at the Tate Modern in London on February 12, taking its number of originals to 80 in 2020 – 25% more than last year.
Launches include eight-episode dark comedy Sweetpea for Sky Atlantic, based on C.J. Skuse’s 2017 book, from See-Saw Films and Sky Studios.
Pure writer Kirstie Swain has penned the series, which explores how a seemingly normal...
- 2/13/2020
- by 1100365¦Alex Farber Broadcast¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Sky has commissioned Tin Star producer Kudos to make an eight-part drama about a woman who flees across Europe after killing her estranged father in a drug-fuelled rage.
Written by Ben Chanan, who penned BBC One’s Holliday Grainger spy drama The Capture, You follows Tara O’Rourke and her closest friends as they go in search of her long-lost mother.
Based on the Zoran Drvenkar novel of the same name, they navigate awkward romances, an unwanted pregnancy and try to escape the attentions of O’Rourke’s gangster uncle, Reagan, after stealing his drug stash. All the while, the specter of a mythical serial killer known as The Traveller inches ever closer.
Chanan will executive produce alongside Karen Wilson and Katie McAleese for Kudos, while Kara Manley and Serena Thompson executive produce for Sky Studios. The producer is Derek Ritchie. You was commissioned by Sky Studios’ director of drama...
Written by Ben Chanan, who penned BBC One’s Holliday Grainger spy drama The Capture, You follows Tara O’Rourke and her closest friends as they go in search of her long-lost mother.
Based on the Zoran Drvenkar novel of the same name, they navigate awkward romances, an unwanted pregnancy and try to escape the attentions of O’Rourke’s gangster uncle, Reagan, after stealing his drug stash. All the while, the specter of a mythical serial killer known as The Traveller inches ever closer.
Chanan will executive produce alongside Karen Wilson and Katie McAleese for Kudos, while Kara Manley and Serena Thompson executive produce for Sky Studios. The producer is Derek Ritchie. You was commissioned by Sky Studios’ director of drama...
- 2/12/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Phantom Thread’s Lesley Manville has joined the second season of Sky drama Save Me.
Manville, who was nominated for a Supporting Actress Oscar for the period feature in 2017, is to star alongside Lennie James, Suranne Jones and Stephen Graham in the London-based drama.
Manville, who also stars in BritBox’s Mum plays Jennifer Charles, the wife of Adrian Edmondson’s character Gideon Charles. Jennifer is forced to make an almost impossible choice that will place her in direct conflict with James’ Nelly, following the return of the vulnerable girl, Grace (Olive Gray), who Nelly rescued whilst searching for his own daughter Jody.
Filming starts later this month. The first season of the show, which is produced by Line of Duty indie World Productions, was picked up by Starz in the U.S. It was created and written by James and was directed by Nick Murphy.
It is a “love...
Manville, who was nominated for a Supporting Actress Oscar for the period feature in 2017, is to star alongside Lennie James, Suranne Jones and Stephen Graham in the London-based drama.
Manville, who also stars in BritBox’s Mum plays Jennifer Charles, the wife of Adrian Edmondson’s character Gideon Charles. Jennifer is forced to make an almost impossible choice that will place her in direct conflict with James’ Nelly, following the return of the vulnerable girl, Grace (Olive Gray), who Nelly rescued whilst searching for his own daughter Jody.
Filming starts later this month. The first season of the show, which is produced by Line of Duty indie World Productions, was picked up by Starz in the U.S. It was created and written by James and was directed by Nick Murphy.
It is a “love...
- 8/9/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Billions’ David Costabile, Transparent’s Amy Landecker and Parenthood’s Matt Lauria have joined the cast of Sky Atlantic period drama Little Birds alongside Juno Temple.
The Dirty John star is fronting the adaptation of Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories, which is set in Tangier in 1955, in the famous international zone, one of the last outposts of colonial decadence and follows troubled Temple’s American debutante Lucy Savage as she faces a culture shock.
Costabile, who also starred in Breaking Bad, plays Lucy’s larger than life father, Grant Savage, an arms manufacturer who wants to control his daughter, while Landecker, who also starred in Doctor Strange, plays his loquacious wife Vanessa. Having set Lucy up with an English Lord, Hugo Cavendish-Smythe, played by Hugh Skinner, Grant thinks he has a malleable, potentially useful son-in-law but unbeknownst to the Savages, Hugo has already lost his heart to someone else.
The Dirty John star is fronting the adaptation of Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories, which is set in Tangier in 1955, in the famous international zone, one of the last outposts of colonial decadence and follows troubled Temple’s American debutante Lucy Savage as she faces a culture shock.
Costabile, who also starred in Breaking Bad, plays Lucy’s larger than life father, Grant Savage, an arms manufacturer who wants to control his daughter, while Landecker, who also starred in Doctor Strange, plays his loquacious wife Vanessa. Having set Lucy up with an English Lord, Hugo Cavendish-Smythe, played by Hugh Skinner, Grant thinks he has a malleable, potentially useful son-in-law but unbeknownst to the Savages, Hugo has already lost his heart to someone else.
- 6/13/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Luke Newberry will appear in the Channel 5 show Suspects.
The actor, who plays Kieren Walker in BBC Three's supernatural drama In the Flesh, will appear alongside Fay Ripley in Channel 5's semi-improvised crime show.
Newberry recently told Twitter followers that he had finished filming the show, before describing his co-stars as "top cops".
In a separate tweet, series producer Kara Manley posted a picture of Newberry with Suspects co-star star Damien Molony. Maloney previously portrayed English vampire Hal Yorke on BBC3 show Being Human.
#Suspects #InTheFlesh - rare moment of down time in the production office sees a vampire and a zombie chilling... pic.twitter.com/5u0N1nA0k4
— Kara Manley (@KaraManley) June 13, 2014
In Suspects, the actors improvise their dialogue and actions based on a detailed plot synopsis.
The new episodes will air on Channel 5 in 2015.
The actor, who plays Kieren Walker in BBC Three's supernatural drama In the Flesh, will appear alongside Fay Ripley in Channel 5's semi-improvised crime show.
Newberry recently told Twitter followers that he had finished filming the show, before describing his co-stars as "top cops".
In a separate tweet, series producer Kara Manley posted a picture of Newberry with Suspects co-star star Damien Molony. Maloney previously portrayed English vampire Hal Yorke on BBC3 show Being Human.
#Suspects #InTheFlesh - rare moment of down time in the production office sees a vampire and a zombie chilling... pic.twitter.com/5u0N1nA0k4
— Kara Manley (@KaraManley) June 13, 2014
In Suspects, the actors improvise their dialogue and actions based on a detailed plot synopsis.
The new episodes will air on Channel 5 in 2015.
- 6/14/2014
- Digital Spy
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