Sreya Biswas shifts from BBC to BBC Studios to shake up natural history output
BBC Studios (BBCS), the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC, has appointed Sreya Biswas as its Natural History Unit (NHU)’s first director of programmes.
The newly created role will see Biswas lead development at the renowned Bristol-based production unit while expanding into new programming areas, including adventure, travel and documentary programming for multiple global clients across a variety of platforms.
Bolstering the unit’s senior creative team, she will lead a team of executive producers and series editors to support the NHU in its position as the leading natural history content producer, while expanding its creative areas of focus, BBCS said.
Biswas will report to Jonny Keeling, the NHU’s head, and work with its creative director Mike Gunton. Biswas will take up her new role this summer.
Biswas joins the NHU from the BBC, where she is currently head of commissioning for natural history.
She oversees some of the biggest factual series on television, including Planet Earth III, Asia, Kingdom and Blue Planet III, as well developing and delivering a broad range of natural history content, including Big Cats 24/7, Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles, Spy in the Troop and An Hour on Earth.
She also oversees feature docs, including multi award-winning Silverback and Orphan and environmental thriller On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace. Biswas is a Grierson Trustee and on the Edinburgh TV Festival and Wildscreen Bristol & Tanzania advisory boards.
Prior to her BBC commissioning role, Biswas was an executive producer at Naked Television, based in the US, where she oversaw and self-shot the Emmy Award-winning series The Day I Picked My Parents for A&E.
BBCS NHU has been behind some of the most successful factual content of the last decade, including The Green Planet; Seven Worlds, One Planet; Dynasties; Blue Planet II; and Planet Earth III.
As well as the BBC, it has also produced series such as Prehistoric Planet for AppleTV+, The Americas for NBCU and Ocean Xplorers for National Geographic Disney+.
Keeling said: “Attracting someone of Sreya’s calibre and creative expertise to spearhead our delivery, development and expansion into new content territory is incredibly exciting.
“Her role will be pivotal in diversifying the NHU’s slate, winning new business, whilst maintaining our global reputation for much-loved, ambitious, blue-chip programming. Our mission to inspire audiences to love and protect the natural world has never been more important and I can’t wait to see how Sreya brings this to life in thought-provoking and compelling new ways both for the BBC and our global clients.”
Biswas added: “I’m delighted to be joining the Natural History Unit and to be working alongside the incredible people that bring the natural world to life for our audiences. The NHU’s long history of world class programming has inspired people around the world. To be part of the evolution of the unit and genre, taking it in new and exciting directions and growing opportunities, while maintaining the amazing heart of the NHU will be a real privilege.”
