Netflix commissioner Lindsay Salt replaces Piers Wenger as BBC drama boss

Netflix commissioner Lindsay Salt has been named as the BBC’s new drama director, filling the position left vacant after Piers Wenger’s exit earlier this year.

Lindsay Salt

The UK pubcaster announced the appointment at lunchtime, making Salt responsible for leading the genre and commissioning content for on-demand platform iPlayer and its portfolio of linear channels.

The news follows former director of drama Wenger and director of film Rose Garnett leaving the BBC to join Euphoria producer A24 in March.

Salt arrives at the BBC from Netflix, which she joined in 2019 as part of its first UK scripted team, helping to establish the new slate led by VP of UK series Anne Mensah.

Her commissions include Baby Reindeer, One Day, The F*** it Bucket, Palomino and Half Bad. She has also worked across shows including Heartstopper and The Crown.

Prior to that, Salt was head of development at Sky Drama UK, where she ran the development slate for Sky One and Sky Atlantic and oversaw titles including The Lazarus Project and The Third Day.

She started her career at Left Bank Pictures, working across production and development as both a producer and a script editor.

Starting in the autumn, she will lead the BBC drama commissioning team and report to the pubcaster’s chief content officer, Charlotte Moore. Ben Irving will continue as acting drama director in the interim.

Moore said: “Lindsay’s appointment heralds an exciting new era for BBC Drama. She has been responsible for an impressive breadth of shows and her track record as a commissioner underlines her passion for creating big hits and developing new and diverse voices.

“She’s an inspiring creative leader with a sophisticated understanding of British audience tastes, which makes her perfectly placed to lead the genre into the future with work that will continue to push the boundaries and disrupt the mainstream.”

Salt added: “My time at Netflix under the generous and visionary leadership of Anne Mensah has been a total joy. However, the opportunity to join the BBC was too special to ignore. Its drama programming is revered around the globe and I can’t wait to get started with the world-class team, who empower talent and producers to create iconic shows that stand the test of time.”