Bickley bags BBC Productions role

The BBC’s former head of commissioning for documentaries and features is moving to a role overseeing creative at a new in-house production label at the UK pubcaster.

Sam Bickley, who has been behind shows including Barely Legal Drivers and Don’t Drop the Baby, becomes creative director at the unnamed label, working with BBC Productions exec Samantha Anstiss to create shows across different genres.

Bickley, who temporarily headed up BBC3 last year, was without a role after a rejig of the factual team saw four commissioning positions closed.

In their place were three new jobs, including a head of commissioning for documentaries, which was filled by Boundless MD Patrick Holland.

Anstiss has been working within BBC Productions since summer last year and before that was a commissioning exec and current affairs exec producer.

Natalie Humphreys, BBC controller of factual and daytime production, said the new production label was being built around Bickley and Anstiss’s “passions and formidable track record. I know they will challenge conventions and make a really inventive partnership.”

The new label is part of BBC TV chief Danny Cohen’s plan revealed in 2013 to increase creativity at the pubcaster by creating small labels.