The BBC’s new-look comedy commissioning team is taking shape with a trio of hires from Channel 4 and People Just Do Nothing and Stath Lets Flats indie Roughcut.
Jon Petrie, who took over as BBC comedy director from Shane Allen in July, has hired former Apple TV commissioning exec Emma Lawson, who produced the streamer’s debut comedy Trying, as a commissioning editor.
Lawson previously spent a decade at Roughcut, exec-ing shows including BBC3 comedy Cuckoo, and has worked for Objective and Fremantle.
Seb Barwell, who has also worked for Roughcut since 2012, joins as an acting commissioning editor for a six-month stint.
Meanwhile, E4 digital executive Navi Lamba joins in the newly-created role of head of comedy talent development role. Lamba has been overseeing E4’s teen output since she joined last year after three years as BBC3 head of social.
Former Zeppotron and Objective producer Ben Caudell is staying on as a full-time executive producer, having joined last year as a maternity cover to exec BBC2 comedy Mandy and sketch show Famalam.
Petrie joined in July, shortly after the exit of comedy head Kate Daughton and commissioning editors Alex Moody and Sarah Asante.
The BBC announced last week it had ordered the first show from Daughton and Allen’s new indie Boffola Pictures.
BBC head of comedy Tanya Qureshi is the commissioning editor on the as-yet untitled six-part comedy from This Country’s Daisy May Cooper and Grantchester actor Selin Hizli. Help writer Jack Thorne is an executive producer.
BBC’s comedy team in full:
Comedy director – Jon Petrie
Head of comedy – Tanya Qureshi
Commissing editors – Gregor Sharp; Emma Lawson; Seb Barwell (acting)
Assistant commissioner in the north – Hannah Rose
Executive producer – Ben Caudell
Head of comedy talent development – Navi Lamba
