Figures from across the factual community have paid tribute to producer Laura Offer, who has died following a short illness at 41.
Praised for her wicked humour, straight talking, compassion and infectious enthusiasm, Offer worked for production companies including Arrow Media, Rare TV, Thames Television, October Films and Bullseye Productions over almost two decades in the industry.
Offer's CV spanned ITV game shows All Star Mr & Mrs and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, BBC2’s Stargazing Live: Back to Earth and The Victoria Derbyshire Programme and Discovery series Outrageous Acts of Science, Body Cam and When Sharks Attack 360.
Most recently, she was showrunner on Rare Television’s Ice Airport Alaska for Paramount+.
“Laura brought an energy and a light to the job that infected everyone around her”, said Rare’s executive producer Greg Chivers and vice-president of US development Christian Broadhurst.
“Her quest to follow in the footsteps of her father who kayaked the rugged coast of Alaska became a shared mission for her crew on location. She was a champion and a mentor for young people coming up through the industry, and her passing leaves a huge hole in the lives of all her friends and colleagues.”
Speaking to Deadline, edit producer Kate Nowicki, who worked on Ice Airport Alaska, remembered Offer as “a champion of people”.
“She cared about her team, she thought about their safety, gave them a voice, confidence in their work and a lot of grace,” Nowicki said. “You always felt safe, respected and part of a team with Laura – she was the lynchpin of every production she worked on … She was truly what made TV amazing to work in while understanding how tough it is.”
Arrow Media executive producer Stuart Pender, who worked with Offer on Body Cam and Shark Attack 360, said she was “one of the most engaging and warm-hearted people I have known”.
He added: “She instinctively knew the right words to say and always made sure nobody felt alone. On the series she worked on, her kindness, humour and compassion created an environment where everyone felt seen and valued.”
Fellow Arrow exec Nick Metcalfe added that Offer was “a decent human being with a brilliantly positive outlook. In the imperfect world of TV production, full of egos, it was a joy to work with her even when things got tough”.
Meanwhile, Gareth Cornick of Cornick Productions, who worked with Offer on Outrageous Acts of Science and Stargazing Live: Back to Earth, told Broadcast that she was “curious, joyful, and utterly in love with what she did”.
“She was one of the brightest people I’ve met - creative, practical, funny, and fiercely principled,” he said.
“On tough shoots she was the ‘mum’ of the team, keeping everyone going with humour and resilience. She was also supremely talented, though she sometimes needed reminding. I watched her battle imposter syndrome many times, only to become one of the best writers and showrunners in the business.”
On The Talent Manager hub, production manager Alexandra Kelly, who has worked on a string of Arrow Media shows including Body Cam, wrote: “She was a dream to work with and a lovely friend. I have such fond memories with her, she'd always have us in hysterics.”
Freelance production manager Michele Kimber added: “I worked with Laura at RDF and remember her with a brilliant sense of humour and very hard working, a joy to work with.”
The Talent Manager would like to invite other people who knew Offer to share their memories on this TM Hub post from her friend, Kate Nowicki, here.
