BBC Worldwide Formats Chief Exits

LONDON: BBC Worldwide is looking for a new director of international formats following news that Colin Jarvis is exiting his post this summer after more than three decades at the British broadcasting group.

Jarvis is one of BBC Worldwide’s longest-serving directors and is credited with dramatically expanding the BBC’s formats and local production businesses, recently rolling out an international production network across Australia, India, North and South America and Europe. He first set up a formats unit at the BBC in 1993 and drove its U.S. expansion with deals for Weakest Link (NBC) and Dancing with the Stars (ABC). Since the formation of the formats unit, Jarvis has expanded Weakest Link to 77 territories and Dancing with the Stars to more than 30. Other key titles in the BBC Worldwide formats catalogue include The Office, Yes Minister and The Greats.

On Jarvis’s exit, BBC Worldwide’s managing director of content and production, Wayne Garvie, said: “Colin leaves a formidable legacy. Under his watch, millions of viewers around the world became hooked on local versions of British television hits and millions of pounds have been generated for the U.K. creative economy. Russians now admire their own Stig and Chileans have their own version of David Brent to deal with but there is only one Colin Jarvis. Both personally and professionally, Colin is hugely admired at BBC Worldwide and we will miss him enormously.”

Jarvis added: “It’s been one hell of a journey so far and it’s not without a heavy heart that I take my leave of friends and colleagues to head off for new adventures. But having joined the BBC as soon as I left school and been here most of the last forty years, I think I’m well overdue a couple of gap years and some time off for good behavior.”

Jarvis’s career at the BBC began in 1970 at the copyright department. He joined the pubcaster’s commercial arm in 1977, left in 1986 for London Weekend Television and returned in 1993 to establish the formats unit. He remains in his current post until July.