True North alum Kieran McCarthy joins UK indie Kalel Productions as creative director

Kalel productions, Nick Parnes’ independent production company behind Channel 4 documentary Undercover: Sexual Harassment – The Truth, has appointed Kieran McCarthy as creative director of development.

Kieran McCarthy

The former director of development at True North Productions joins the Rich Kids Go Skint production company to lead the development of provocative and purposeful formats and returning series.

McCarthy’s True North credits include the new BBC six-part series Ashley Cain: Into the Dangerzone; Top Guns: Inside the RAF for Channel 4; 5’s Susan Calman’s Antique Adventure; the true crime boxset; I’ll Be Watching You for Paramount+, The Antiques Brothers for Discovery and forthcoming competition series spin-off A New Life in the Sun: Win a B&B.

McCarthy previously served as creative director at Flying Saucer TV where he created shows including Lose Weight Like Me for Channel 4; and Cats and Dogs at War and Filthy House SOS for 5.

Prior to that he was director of development at Manchester based Gobstopper TV where he helped launch Just Tattoo of Us for MTV.

He will report to CEO Nick Parnes.

Kalel was previously part of the Greenbird group and since May 2024 it has been a fully independent production company.

McCarthy’s appointment coincides with Kalel announcing a growing slate of programmes, including two brand new 1×60’ commissions for 5.

The first Is Your Smartphone Spying On You?, a documentary that explores ominous claims regarding smartphones and tech listening in on us and how much info ‘they’ already have on us, commissioned for 5 by Kit Morey. The second is Lawless Britain: Catching the Street Thieves commissioned by Federico Ruiz and will be hosted by ex-police detective Rebecca Mason.