Optomen is gearing up for a bigger push into reality TV with the hire of the executive producer of ITV’s Big Brother reboot and a restructuring of its senior team.
Colin Whitaker is initially to executive produce an 11-part of reality series commissioned from Optomen by ITVX.
As well as Initial’s new version of Big Brother, he has executive produced Studio Lambert’s Channel 4 format Rise and Fall and Lime Pictures’ Celebs Go Dating (E4) and Geordie Shore (MTV).
All3Media-owned Optomen has also given an executive producer Laura Leigh a staff position on returning ITVX/ITV2 series Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich. She has also exec-ed the presenter’s previous ITVX series The Price of Perfection, as well as Netflix series At Home with the Furies, for the indie as a freelancer.
Meanwhile, Great British Menu executive producer Sarah Elgin becomes creative director of Optomen’s Birmingham office, where she will be developing talent-led series, fact ent formats and reality shows.
Head of development Eliana Capitani, who developed Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight and The Kardashians: Billion Dollar Dynasty, will take on premium factual series and feature docs following a promotion to director of development and executive producer.
Finally, Stacey Solomon: Sort Your Life Out executive producer Charlotte Brookes will oversee fact-ent series and further projects for the presenter as head of popular factual.
