BBC Studios appoints comedy head

The production arm of BBC Studios has appointed a former Sky commissioning editor as its new head of comedy.

Josh Cole

Josh Cole is joining the commercial and production arm of the UK pubcaster

Cole will be responsible for leading the comedy team and overseeing its current slate across TV, radio and online, including Bafta-winning This Country, Famalam and Inside No.9.

He will also be responsible for the development of new, returnable comedy shows, working with emerging and established creative talent from around the UK.

Cole joins BBC Studios from Sky, where he has been commissioning editor since 2017, commissioning and executive producing a range of original scripted comedies for Sky One, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts.

His recent credits include this year’s Bafta-winning Sally4Ever, from Julia Davis for Sky Atlantic and HBO; Breeders, starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard for Sky One and FX; The Trip To Greece, starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon; and Two Weeks To Live, with Maisie Williams.

Prior to joining Sky, Cole spent five years with Big Talk Productions, where he produced titles including Crashing, written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, for Channel 4 and Netflix; Royal Television Society Award-winning Timewasters for ITV2; Cockroaches, starring Jack Whitehall, for ITV2; and We The Jury for BBC2.

He replaces Chris Sussman who left BBC Studios earlier this year.