Sky alum takes Chalkboard creative role

Independent UK prodco Chalkboard TV has appointed former Sky exec Bill Hobbins as its creative director.

Bill Hobbins

Hobbins, who was unscripted commissioning editor for European pay TV operator Sky from 2015 until March last year, has been hired for the newly created position.

Reporting to Chalkboard MD Mike Benson, Hobbins will also join the executive committee of the recently established iZen UK group, which consists of Chalkboard’s sister companies Storyboard Studios, based in Scotland, and scripted specialist Clapperboard, which launched last year.

Benson, Storyboard co-founder Natalie Humphreys and Chalkboard head of production Michael Klokkos already sit on the committee.

Founded in 2013, Chalkboard is known for UK commissions such as Inside Prison: Britain Behind Bars (ITV) and Murder, Mystery & My Family (BBC).

Its first drama commission, Cold Call, debuted on Channel 5 in November 2019. Chalkboard was named Small Indie of the Year at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 2020.