The BBC drama department has been hit with a triple departure: acting director of drama Ben Irving and senior commissioning editor Manda Levin are leaving the corporation, and head of development Tom Lazenby has already departed.
The trio of departures represents a significant change to the team, and will give incoming director of drama Lindsay Salt scope to reshape it after she joins from Netflix UK on Tuesday.
Irving is leaving to join Severance producer Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) in November in the newly-created position of creative director, UK television.
He will lead the production and development team, working across existing UK-based projects and developing new global series with established and emerging UK talent.
The BBC’s commissioning team now comprises Lindsay Salt, Lucy Richer, Jo McClellan, Tommy Bulfin, Gaynor Holmes, Rebecca O’Connor, and Rebecca Ferguson, Ayela Butt – Nawfal Faizullah.
Ben Irving
Irving leaves the BBC after five years, having risen to drama commissioning editor before taking the top job in an acting role following the departure of Piers Wenger in March. Salt was named as Wenger’s permanent successor in July.
During his tenure at the BBC, Irving’s credits include Sherwood, His Dark Materials, Giri/Haji, Industry, The Capture, Chloe, The Girl Before, Gentleman Jack, Doctor Who, Inside Man and the upcoming final series of Happy Valley.
His recent commissions include Moonage Pictures’ A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder and Studio Lambert’s debut comedy-drama Boarders.
Prior to joining the BBC he worked at Heyday Films on films including Paddington 2, Gravity, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
As well as Apple TV+’s high concept thriller Severance, Fifth Season is responsible for See and Truth Be Told (Apple TV+) Wolf Like Me (Peacock) Life & Beth, Nine Perfect Strangers, and McCartney 3, 2, 1 (Hulu), Tokyo Vice (HBO Max), and Scenes From A Marriage (HBO).
Irving said: “[Fifth Season] has always had a strong international focus, and together we will build on their many successes to further ramp up the studio’s TV productions, continuing to support and empower the best creators and producers in the UK, and beyond, to tell stories that will resonate with global audiences.”
Fifth Season’s executive vice president, TV development and production Joe Hipps added: “Ben’s prolific experience, strategic sensibilities, long-standing creative relationships and exceptional taste for great programs will be instrumental as our presence grows in the UK.”
Meanwhile senior drama commissioning editor Manda Levin is also set to depart at the end of October. Levin has worked across dramas including Chloe, Luther, Five Daughters, The Fades, Criminal Justice and Great Expectations in a BBC career which has also included time as creative director of in-house drama production.
Head of commissioning of drama development Lazenby has also left the corporation after three years. He exec- produced two series of Irish thriller Bloodlands for BBC1 alongside drama commissioning exec Tommy Bulfin and HTM Television’s Jed Mercurio, Mark Redhead, Jimmy Mulville and Chris Brandon. He was also exec producer on Element Pictures’ upcoming BBC/ A24 period drama The Gallows Pole.
Before joining the BBC in 2019, reporting to Wenger, Lazenby was head of scripted development at Raw TV. He spent three years developing the indie’s US and UK scripted slate which includes Prime Video’s Encounter and Channel 4’s Cyberbully. The BBC is seeking a direct replacement for Lazenby.
This story was first published on Screen’s sister site Broadcast.
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