UKTV has appointed former ITV and BBC exec Helen Perry as head of drama across its channels Alibi, Drama and Dave.
Perry will start in January following a year-long fixed-term contract as a drama commissioning editor at ITV, where she helped expand the broadcaster’s offering in the genre following its launch of streaming platform ITVX, with shows such as the upcoming Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Playing Nice, as well as returners such as Grantchester and Professor T.
At UKTV, she effectively replaces Philippa Collie Cousins, the broadcaster’s first drama commissioner and commissioning editor, who left earlier this year after five years in the role.
UKTV has been expanding its drama offering recently with shows like Annika, Traces, The Diplomat, We Hunt Together and Ragdoll. Its upcoming dramas include The Marlow Murder Club and The Red King.
“UKTV is known for creating unique, quality shows that audiences love,” said Perry.
“This is an incredible opportunity to build on past successes, to lead the drama strategy forwards and to realise UKTV’s ambition to be the home of bold, unmissable and entertaining drama.
“I look forward to creatively collaborating with the UK production community, to offer a platform to new voices and the very best talent, and to deliver stand-out dramas that will cut through and entertain the nation.”
Prior to ITV, Perry was an assistant commissioner for BBC Drama, where she exec produced shows including BBC1’s Steeltown Murders and The Pact.
She was oreviously script executive at Bad Wolf on HBO/BBC drama Industry, and lead the Wales team at BBC Writersroom as a development producer, finding and nurturing emerging talent with a focus on Welsh talent. She star t ed in radio as a drama producer/director creating original dramas for Radio 3, 4, 1Xtra, the World Service and BBC Sounds, working with writers such as Alice Birch and Daniel Kaluuya.
