UKTV has announced the departure of Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisitions for BBC Studios/UKTV. He’ll leave the roles in September after 14 years.
Watsham joined UKTV as a Commissioning Editor in 2011 before leading UKTV’s award-winning commissioning team.
He was appointed to his current roles in November 2022 to oversee the content pipeline across UKTV’s portfolio of brands and lead content acquisition activity for BBC Studios’ global branded services.
During his time, UKTV has transformed over the past decade, from an originator of lifestyle content into leading commissioner across documentary, factual entertainment, comedy entertainment and scripted comedy. Its drama slate is now the largest it has ever been.
Richard and his team have been responsible for commissioning thousands of hours of original content, generating the highest-ever rating shows throughout the UKTV network, and winning an array of accolades from International Emmy and Rose D’Or, Broadcast and Broadcasting Press Guild awards to UKTV’s first BAFTAs.
Standout hits in entertainment include Taskmaster which Richard helped develop and was the original commissioner of, multi-award winning, ratings juggernaut, Dynamo: Magician Impossible, BAFTA-winning Big Zuu’s Big Eats and the last performance of the Pythons in Monty Python Live (Mostly); Broadcast Award-winning Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, Bangers and Cash and Expedition with Steve Backshall in factual entertainment; and Traces, Annika, The Marlow Murder Club and the recent reimagining of Bergerac in drama.
“Richard’s contribution to UKTV has been immense. His creative vision and leadership have transformed the reputation and scope of UKTV’s content, delivering hits that have delighted and grown our audiences,: said Marcus Arthur, CEO, UKTV. Alongside this, he has ensured that UKTV has been an advocate for positive change in the industry, driving initiatives in diversity, inclusion and sustainability. We’re incredibly grateful for everything he’s done for the team and the business, and while we understand his decision to seek a new challenge, he will be sorely missed.”
Richard Watsham added it was always a difficult decision to leave somewhere you love. “Our resources are leaner compared to some of our competitors, but we have punched above our weight over and over again due to the passion and brilliant expertise of my colleagues at UKTV.”
Richard’s acquisitions team, led by the wonderful Melanie Rumani, who passed away two weeks ago, have played a huge part in filling UKTV’s VOD service U with almost 10,000 hours of content from classic British archive to glossy, US studio premieres.
