Hello U: Meet the UKTV Commissioners

TIME & LOCATION

Thursday 14 November, 1:00 pm

End Time: 2:00 pm

The Factory

About

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining audiences with programmes they love. Its portfolio of distinct and much-loved brands – including U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY, U&Gold and U&alibi – presents producers with the opportunity to create programmes across a wide range of genres spanning factual, factual entertainment, drama, comedy and entertainment. This year, UKTV united its network of channels and free streaming service under the new ‘U’ Masterbrand, making it easier for viewers to navigate across online and on-air.

Director of Commissioning, Hilary Rosen, Head of Drama, Helen Perry and Commissioning Executive for Factual and Fact Ent, TJ are delighted to welcome you to join them for the UKTV panel at the Belfast Media Festival. As they look to widen UKTV’s slate to be as diverse and inclusive as possible, Hilary, Helen and TJ will lift the lid on the kind of ideas and unique perspectives they are currently looking to commission and share examples of the content that resonates with their audiences. They’ll unpack the detail on the different commissioning briefs from channel to channel, explain the significance of U, and share all the practical information you’ll need to pitch your ideas and stand out.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from three key figures within UKTV’s commissioning team.

Chair

William Crawley

SPONSOR

Panel

Hilary Rosen

Director of Commissioning, UKTV
Hilary Rosen leads UKTV’s award-winning team of commissioners, overseeing UKTV's growing slate of original unscripted and scripted content. Hilary has commissioned some of UKTV's biggest successes including BAFTA-winning show Taskmaster and award-winning Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable. While running the Factual and Factual Entertainment slate she and her team commissioned breakout hits Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, the double BAFTA-winning Big Zuu's Big Eats, Blackadder: The Lost Pilot and the Bangers and Cash franchise. As Director of Commissioning, her team has delivered hit shows including The Marlow Murder Club, Annika, Battle in the Box, Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance and Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens. Prior to UKTV Hilary was creative director at Silver River. Her career has also encompassed ten years as a senior executive producer at Lion Television having begun her career in BBC News and Current Affairs at Panorama. Hilary is Chair of the BAFTA Television Committee and has also acted as a consultant for BBC Academy, worked on the Edinburgh TV Festival and Realscreen advisories and is passionate about mentoring women in television.

TJ (Tracy-Jean)

Commissioning Executive, Factual and Factual Entertainment, UKTV
Tracy-Jean, known as TJ, works on UKTV’s factual and factual entertainment slate and oversees flagship series’ Bangers & Cash and its spin offs; Canal Boat Diaries; Find it, Fix it, Flog it; and execs Secrets of the London Underground. As commissioning executive, TJ is looking for new series for U&Yesterday, U&W and U&Dave channels, working closely with independent production companies to develop new shows. Before joining UKTV, TJ spent a year as International Format and Development Executive for Sony Pictures Entertainment in their LA gameshow division where she acquired their first international unscripted format and played a key role in securing the commission of the US version of Raid the Cage. Prior to this, TJ worked in the Global Sony Entertainment team in London, where she contributed to the brand management of flagship formats Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and Dragons’ Den, as well as co-creating original unscripted ideas like Goodbye House for RTE. She has worked for Discovery, Fremantle and BBC Worldwide, and unscripted formats she developed have aired in Argentina, India, Germany, France, Australia and the US and UK.

Helen Perry

Head of Drama, UKTV
Helen Perry is UKTV’s Head of Drama and leads the multi-channel broadcaster's growing original drama slate, which includes The Marlow Murder Club, and upcoming series Outrageous on the story of the Mitford sisters and the reimagining of Bergerac. Since joining UKTV Helen has also commissioned Mark Gatiss’ Bookish, Mudtown a co-pro with S4C and overseen Chris Lang’s I, Jack Wright. Prior to UKTV, Helen was a Commissioning Editor for Drama at ITV working with some of the country's biggest indies. At ITV Helen worked on original dramas including Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Playing Nice, alongside returning series such as DI Ray, Professor T, The Bay and Grantchester. Before joining ITV Helen was an Assistant Commissioner for BBC Drama where she worked across both development and production for Drama Commissioning, exec-ing BBC1 titles Steeltown Murders and The Pact. Prior to that Helen was Script Executive at Bad Wolf on the acclaimed HBO/BBC drama Industry. Helen has also worked as a Development Producer for BBC Writers’ Room and she began her career as an award-winning audio drama producer/director creating original dramas for Radio 3, 4, 1Xtra, the World Service and BBC Sounds.