Plimsoll Productions has hired its first dedicated live exec to capitalise on the success of recent Netflix event Skyscraper Live.
Former BBC exec Paul Wright has joined the ITV Studios label as an executive producer specialising in live programming across adventure, factual entertainment, natural history and other genres.
His appointment cements his relationship with Plimsoll after working on Skyscraper Live, in which free solo climber Alex Honnold scaled one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.
The live event made Netflix’s global top 10 in January and amassed almost 1bn impressions across 74 countries within a fortnight.
Plimsoll head of adventure and live James Smith said: “Skyscraper Live was the most demanding live production we’ve ever made, and Paul rose to every challenge it presented.
“As we continue to invest creatively across our live slate, Paul’s range across genres, editorial judgment, and ability to perform under real-time pressure make him exactly the right person for this moment.”
Wright added: “Live television is where I live and breathe, and Skyscraper Live showed me that Plimsoll is the perfect home for that ambition. The talent here is extraordinary, and the canvas is as wide as it gets.”
Wright’s previous credits range from entertainment shows including Pride of Britain, Comic Relief’s Big Chat with Graham Norton and Sounds Like Friday Night to sports programming including Match of the Day, multiple World Cups and the 2004 Athens Olympics.
