eOne hires ITVS unscripted duo

Entertainment One has appointed two high-ranking execs from ITV Studios-owned production companies to lead its unscripted TV business in the UK and Europe.

Matt Pritchard

Matt Pritchard, the MD of Boomerang, part of ITV Studios-owned Twofour Group, and Matt Walton, head of entertainment and factual at ITV Studios-owned 12 Yard, will serve as joint executive VPs of unscripted television, based in London.

The appointments quickly follow the transatlantic producer-distributor’s acquisition of UK-based unscripted production company Daisybeck Studios last month, which came after it bought another, Whizz Kid Entertainment, in 2018.

With eOne focusing on the growth of its unscripted business on an international basis, Pritchard and Walton will together oversee the day-to-day operations of eOne’s unscripted team in the UK, building a new development and production unit and managing key relationships with UK networks, producers and talent.

Pritchard has served as MD of Boomerang since 2016, overseeing the launches of shows such as What Would Your Kid Do? (ITV) and Extreme Cake Makers (Channel 4).

Prior to that, he was the group director of development at Twofour, where he helped create shows including The Jump (C4), This Time Next Year (ITV), The Real Marigold Hotel (BBC1), Ibiza Weekender (ITV2) and Royal Marines Commando School (C4).

Matt Walton

Pritchard’s other previous roles include head of development at BBC Worldwide, while he was also a senior member of the ITV Entertainment team that created The Chase (ITV) and Four Weddings (Living).

At 12 Yard, Walton co-created and executive produced hundreds of hours of programming for all major UK networks, including high-volume quiz, game, reality, competition and makeover shows.

His credits include 23 seasons of Coach Trip and Celebrity Coach Trip, overseeing the show’s successful move from C4 daytime to E4 peak, plus Big Star’s Little Star (ITV), I’ll Get This (BBC2), The Instant Gardener (BBC1) and the upcoming Comedians Giving Lectures for Dave.

Prior to joining 12 Yard, Walton was a freelance development producer and showrunner for various UK production companies, including Initial, Tiger Aspect, ITV Entertainment and Thames, where he produced early seasons of The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

Under Tara Long, eOne’s president of global unscripted television, the company’s current slate of unscripted programming includes the recently announced reboot of Making the Band (MTV), featuring with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, and Ready for War (Showtime).

The latter is executive produced by David Ayer and Chris Long’s Cedar Park Entertainment alongside platinum-selling artist Drake and Adel Nur’s Dreamcrew.

Other titles include Murder in the Thirst (BET), The Strongest Man in History (History), Ladies Night (BET), Ex on the Beach (MTV), Siesta Key (MTV), LadyGang (E!), Hustle in Brooklyn (BET) and Growing Up Hip Hop, Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta and Growing Up Hip Hop: New York (WeTV).

“With equally impressive backgrounds and their shared experience building some of the biggest unscripted hits and formats to come out of the UK, we are eager to have Matt and Matt bring this expertise to our international unscripted team,” said Long.