New comedy execs and producers at Sky and the BBC

Sky and the BBC have both announced new appointments in their comedy commissioning and producing teams.

The BBC’s comedy department has appointed I May Destroy You producer Tanya Qureshi as a commissioning editor.

She will replace Alex Moody, who is leaving the BBC to join Sky in the same role this summer.  Her commissions for the Corporation included Mackenzie Crook’s Worzel Gummidge, King Gary, Motherland, and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order.

Meanwhile, Sky has also appointed BBC producer Adnan Ahmed and Katie Churchill, from independent production company Tiger Aspect, to work on the programme-making side. Their remit includes identifying writing and performing talent and working to develop scripted comedies.

Ahmed’s previous projects include the UK’s first British Muslim sketch show Muzlamic and the BBC New Comedy Awards, while Churchill’s credits include Simon Amstell: Set Free and Lazy Susan’s BBC Two pilot.

Jon Mountague, director of comedy for Sky Studios, said: ‘Katie, Adnan and Alex are three of the best in the business. They all have brilliant track-records in delivering break-out comedy hits and will each bring their distinctive and diverse taste to Sky.’

Qureshi is joining the BBC from Various Artists, the production company set up by writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong and former Channel 4 comedy chief Phil Clarke.

She started her career in commissioning at UKTV, where her credits included Crackanory, before moving to Channel 4 where she worked on The Windsors and Flowers.

Of joining the BBC, she said: ‘The opportunity to work across such a breadth of funny programming, with incredible talent, was impossible to resist."

Shane Allen, the BBC’s director of comedy commissioning says: ‘Tanya joins on a producing high from having nurtured and delivered one of the most seminal shows of recent years. Her immaculate taste, insight, connections, wisdom and passion for comedy is matched by a funny bones personality.’

She takes up her role on March 22.

Pictured, from left: Ahmed, Moody, Churchill and Qureshi

Published: 10 Mar 2021