The BBC has a new director of comedy: People Just Do Nothing executive producer Jon Petrie .
Petrie has briefly worked in commissioning before, in a stint at Channel 4 in 2019, but has largely worked in production.
He spent 11 years with Roughcut TV, initially on online shorts for BBC Comedy before working on all five series and upcoming movie of BBC3’s pirate DJ comedy, plus Channel 4 shows Stath Lets Flats and Anna and Katy.
Petrie, who started at Talkback moves from Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones’ Netflix-backed indie Broke and Bones, where he is head of comedy.
At the BBC, his remit will span all scripted comedy on linear channels and BBC iPlayer and leading the emerging talent initiative BBC Comedy Association. He succeeds Shane Allen, who recently left the BBC to join Boffola Pictures, the indie set up by former BBC head of comedy Kate Daughton.
Until his arrival, BBC entertainment director Kate Phillips is heading up comedy commissioning, supported by head of comedy Tanya Qureshi.
