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Pete Thornton

Commissioing Editor, Executive Producer & Producer

Over the last 35 years Pete has accrued significant TV experience working across various roles and genres, from production management in animation, through to producer roles in both scripted and non-scripted comedy and (more recently) to commissioning and executive producing multiple drama and comedy series.

He has produced BAFTA award winning series for BBC2 and BBC3, has worked extensively with all the major British terrestrial broadcasters, served as Head of Comedy for Tiger Aspect Productions and has commissioned content for both Comedy Central and UKTV.

Pete therefore has experience in developing scripts from pre-treatment stage through to greenlight and has excellent relationships with numerous comedy and drama writers across the industry. He’s also worked with the many of the UKs top casting agents and has helped pull together treatments and pitch packages for numerous different channels and platforms.

Alongside his creative expertise, Pete has also spent the last 7 years working with different finance and legal teams to structure funding packages for projects intended to play out across the UKTV family of channels. His prior experience as a production manager still helps in terms of line by line budgeting and he’s comfortable packaging up finance from various different sources in order to get a project greenlit.

Credits

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Production (role):
HEAD OF SCRIPTED
Company:
UKTV
Project details:
- Built and managed commissioning teams across comedy and drama and delivered hit series across both genres from ‘The Cockfields’ on Gold to ‘Annika’ on Alibi.

- Managed the development slate and internal budget, working with the various channel heads and the director of commissioning Richard Watsham.

- Worked closely with other in-house stakeholders including the UKTV editorial board and the different teams across legal and business affairs, finance, marketing and scheduling.

- Worked extensively and collaboratively with numerous indies on not only the creative process but also the logistical side in order to get their show financed, commissioned and then made.

- Ensured excellent lines of communication at all times alongside strong project management in order to minimise errors and inefficiencies and deliver excellent value for money for UKTV.

- Developed UKTV’s drama initiative from the ground up, working across multiple platforms.

COMMISSIONING EDITOR & EXEC PROD:
Sneakerhead - Dave
We Are Not Alone - Dave
Newark, Newark - Dave
Red Dwarf:The Promised Land - Dave
The Cockfields S1 & 2 - Gold
Sliced S1 & 2 - Dave
Sandylands S1 & 2 - Gold
Flack S1 & 2 - W
Murder on the Blackpool Express - Gold

HEAD OF SCRIPTED:
Annika S1 & 2 - Dave
Rag Doll - Alibi
Production (role):
HEAD OF COMEDY
Company:
TIGER ASPECT PRODUCTIONS
Project details:
CATHERINE TATE'S NAN - Prod
Two Christmas Specials
Wrs. Catherine Tate, Brett Goldstein, Dan Swimer
Dir. Geoff Posner
Exec. Kristian Smith

BOY MEETS GIRL - Exec Prod
Wr. Elliot Kerrigan
Dir. Paul Walker
Exec. Sophie Clarke-Jervoise
Prod. Margot Gavan-Duffy

BENIDORM S8 - Exec Prod
Wr. Derren Litten
Dirs. Robin Sheppard, David Sant
Exec. Sophie Clarke-Jervoise

MOUNT PLEASANT S5 - Exec Prod
Wr. Mark Brotherhood
Dir. Ian Barnes
Exec. Sophie Clarke-Jervoise
Prod. Serena Cullen

COMIC RELIEF - Prod
Wr. Richard Curtis
Dir. Ol Parker
Production (role):
CREATIVE HEAD
Company:
BBC COMEDY PRODUCTION
Project details:
CRIMS - Exec Prod
Wrs. Adam Kay, David Swimer
Dirs. Ben Kellett, Alex Winkler
Prod. James Kay

JONATHAN CREEK S5 - Exec Prod
Wr. / Dir. David Renwick
Prod. Rosemary McGowan

COMIC RELIEF: FUNNY FOR MONEY - Exec Prod
Production (role):
COMMISSIONING EDITOR
Company:
COMEDY CENTRAL
Project details:
THREESOME S1 - Commissioning Editor, Exec Prod
Wr. Tom MacRae
Dir. Ian Fitzgibbon
Execs. Kenton Allen, Simon Curtis
Prod. John Rushton

BIG BAD WORLD - Commissioning Editor, Dev Exec
Wrs. Joe Tucker, Lloyd Woolf
Dir. Tristram Shapeero
Exec. Ben Farrell
Prod. Kate Daughton
Production (role):
PRODUCER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Company:
BBC COMEDY
Project details:
ROGER AND VAL HAVE JUST GOT IN S1 - Prod
Creator Dawn French
Wrs. Beth & Emma Kilcoyne
Dir. Jamie Rafn
Exec. Hugo Blick

JONATHAN CREEK: The Grinning Man & The Judas Tree - Exec Prod
Wr. / Dir. David Renwick
Prod. Nerys Evans

MIRANDA Pilot - Exec Prod
Wr. Miranda Hart
Dir. Juliet May
Exec. Jo Sargent
Prod. Nerys Evans

COMIC RELIEF - Red Nose Day - Exec Prod

JAM AND JERUSALEM S2 & 3 - Prod & Exec Prod
Wrs. Jennifer Saunders, Abigail Wilson
Dir. Mandie Fletcher
Execs. Jo Sargent, Jon Plowman
Prod, Jo Sargent, Francis Gilman

THE SMOKING ROOM S1 & 2 - Prod
Wr. Brian Dooley
Dir. Garerth Carrivick
Execs. Michael Jacob, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise

MANCHILD S1 & 2 - Prod
Wr. Nick Fisher
Dirs. David Evans, Audrey Cooke
Exec. Geoffrey Perkins



Credits

  • Production (role)
    Company
    Project details
  • Production (role): HEAD OF SCRIPTED
    Company: UKTV
    Project details: - Built and managed commissioning teams across comedy and drama and delivered hit series across both genres from ‘The Cockfields’ on Gold to ‘Annika’ on Alibi.

    - Managed the development slate and internal budget, working with the various channel heads and the director of commissioning Richard Watsham.

    - Worked closely with other in-house stakeholders including the UKTV editorial board and the different teams across legal and business affairs, finance, marketing and scheduling.

    - Worked extensively and collaboratively with numerous indies on not only the creative process but also the logistical side in order to get their show financed, commissioned and then made.

    - Ensured excellent lines of communication at all times alongside strong project management in order to minimise errors and inefficiencies and deliver excellent value for money for UKTV.

    - Developed UKTV’s drama initiative from the ground up, working across multiple platforms.

    COMMISSIONING EDITOR & EXEC PROD:
    Sneakerhead - Dave
    We Are Not Alone - Dave
    Newark, Newark - Dave
    Red Dwarf:The Promised Land - Dave
    The Cockfields S1 & 2 - Gold
    Sliced S1 & 2 - Dave
    Sandylands S1 & 2 - Gold
    Flack S1 & 2 - W
    Murder on the Blackpool Express - Gold

    HEAD OF SCRIPTED:
    Annika S1 & 2 - Dave
    Rag Doll - Alibi
  • Production (role): HEAD OF COMEDY
    Company: TIGER ASPECT PRODUCTIONS
    Project details: CATHERINE TATE'S NAN - Prod
    Two Christmas Specials
    Wrs. Catherine Tate, Brett Goldstein, Dan Swimer
    Dir. Geoff Posner
    Exec. Kristian Smith

    BOY MEETS GIRL - Exec Prod
    Wr. Elliot Kerrigan
    Dir. Paul Walker
    Exec. Sophie Clarke-Jervoise
    Prod. Margot Gavan-Duffy

    BENIDORM S8 - Exec Prod
    Wr. Derren Litten
    Dirs. Robin Sheppard, David Sant
    Exec. Sophie Clarke-Jervoise

    MOUNT PLEASANT S5 - Exec Prod
    Wr. Mark Brotherhood
    Dir. Ian Barnes
    Exec. Sophie Clarke-Jervoise
    Prod. Serena Cullen

    COMIC RELIEF - Prod
    Wr. Richard Curtis
    Dir. Ol Parker
  • Production (role): CREATIVE HEAD
    Company: BBC COMEDY PRODUCTION
    Project details: CRIMS - Exec Prod
    Wrs. Adam Kay, David Swimer
    Dirs. Ben Kellett, Alex Winkler
    Prod. James Kay

    JONATHAN CREEK S5 - Exec Prod
    Wr. / Dir. David Renwick
    Prod. Rosemary McGowan

    COMIC RELIEF: FUNNY FOR MONEY - Exec Prod
  • Production (role): COMMISSIONING EDITOR
    Company: COMEDY CENTRAL
    Project details: THREESOME S1 - Commissioning Editor, Exec Prod
    Wr. Tom MacRae
    Dir. Ian Fitzgibbon
    Execs. Kenton Allen, Simon Curtis
    Prod. John Rushton

    BIG BAD WORLD - Commissioning Editor, Dev Exec
    Wrs. Joe Tucker, Lloyd Woolf
    Dir. Tristram Shapeero
    Exec. Ben Farrell
    Prod. Kate Daughton
  • Production (role): PRODUCER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
    Company: BBC COMEDY
    Project details: ROGER AND VAL HAVE JUST GOT IN S1 - Prod
    Creator Dawn French
    Wrs. Beth & Emma Kilcoyne
    Dir. Jamie Rafn
    Exec. Hugo Blick

    JONATHAN CREEK: The Grinning Man & The Judas Tree - Exec Prod
    Wr. / Dir. David Renwick
    Prod. Nerys Evans

    MIRANDA Pilot - Exec Prod
    Wr. Miranda Hart
    Dir. Juliet May
    Exec. Jo Sargent
    Prod. Nerys Evans

    COMIC RELIEF - Red Nose Day - Exec Prod

    JAM AND JERUSALEM S2 & 3 - Prod & Exec Prod
    Wrs. Jennifer Saunders, Abigail Wilson
    Dir. Mandie Fletcher
    Execs. Jo Sargent, Jon Plowman
    Prod, Jo Sargent, Francis Gilman

    THE SMOKING ROOM S1 & 2 - Prod
    Wr. Brian Dooley
    Dir. Garerth Carrivick
    Execs. Michael Jacob, Sophie Clarke-Jervoise

    MANCHILD S1 & 2 - Prod
    Wr. Nick Fisher
    Dirs. David Evans, Audrey Cooke
    Exec. Geoffrey Perkins



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