BBC Studios names drama head

BBC Studios Production has appointed an exec from ITV Studios-owned World Productions as its head of drama.

Priscilla Parish

Priscilla Parish will report to director of content Ralph Lee and will be responsible for the creative strategy and development of BBC Studios drama series and serials, daytime drama and factual drama.

Parish joins from World Productions, where she was executive producer and head of development, executive producing police drama Line of Duty season five, after coproducing its third and fourth seasons, and producing multi-award-winning limited series Bodyguard, both for the BBC.

Prior to joining World Productions, Parish worked with Left Bank Pictures, Fremantle and Comedy Central. She has also held development producer roles at Big Tree Productions and Working Title TV, where she developed shows such as Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride and Diverted, written by Tony Marchant.

Other producer credits include Code of a Killer for ITV, starring John Simm and David Threlfall, and Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent for the BBC.

The appointment comes following the departure of Nick Betts, MD of scripted production, from BBC Studios in November last year.

With scripted production hubs in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Salford and Glasgow, BBC Studios produces a range of dramas, including Doctor Who, Luther, MotherFatherSon and Les Misérables.

New dramas currently in production include The Watch for BBC America, based on Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, and We Hunt Together for UKTV.