BBC Studios has named Zai Bennett the new CEO and Chief Creative Officer for its global content-making division BBC Studios Productions.
Bennett joins from Sky where he is currently Managing Director of Content. At Sky, Bennett is responsible for entertainment services such as Sky Atlantic and Sky Max, Sky Cinema and Sky Kids as well as Sky Arts.
Bennett replaces Ralph Lee who stepped down earlier this year after a six-year stint.
BBC Studios Productions is one of the UK’s largest producers, responsible for events such as Eurovision and the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, plus dramas such as Happy Valley 3. Recent BBC Studios Productions unit output includes series two of Jimmy McGovern’s Time, the David Attenborough-fronted landmark Planet Earth III, and Nicolas Winding Refn’s take on children’s classic The Famous Five.
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Its wholly-owned production labels delivered shows such as Baby Reindeer (Clerkenwell), Renegade Nell (Lookout Point) and the recently launched The Jetty (Firebird Pictures). As well as 12 production bases in the UK, BBC Studios also has bases in the Nordics, India, Australia, Spain, South Africa, Germany, France and the USA. It is also home to the BBC’s Natural History Unit.
At Sky, Bennett has ordered hugely dramas such as Chernobyl, Gangs of London, Patrick Melrose, This England, Bulletproof and Discovery of Witches, comedies like Brassic and Sally4Ever as well as entertainment like Rob and Romesh Versus.
One of Bennett’s first roles in TV was at Channel 5 where he scheduled the channel’s launch night before joining ITV as part of the core team that launched ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4, working his way up to become Director of the digital channels notably commissioning The Only Way Is Essex, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, and Celebrity Juice. At the same time, he oversaw acquisitions for all of ITV.
In 2011, Bennett moved to the BBC to become BBC Three’s fourth controller, where he commissioned comedy hits like Bad Education and Murder in Successville as well as People Just Do Nothing. He also commissioned documentaries such as My Murder and Life And Death Row.
Bennett takes up his new position in November and will report to CEO Tom Fussell, joining BBC Studio’s Executive Committee.
Fussell said: “Zai’s risk-taking creative hit-rate speaks for itself. He has impact and gravitas and can propel BBC Studios Productions even faster forward without losing the deeply engrained BBC ethos all who work here share. His deep genre experience in scripted comedy and drama through to factual entertainment, documentaries, film and kids, coupled with the relationships he’s cultivated with the very best creative talent, will complement our production business growth plans and take us to the next level domestically and globally. I can’t wait for him to start.”
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