NBCU’s Monkey Makes New Hire, Commissions Two Series

LONDON: Monkey, which was recently acquired by NBCUniversal, has tapped Sarah Dillistone as executive producer to lead its constructed reality formats, with the appointment coming alongside two new commissions for the company.

The commissions include Chelsea Girls (working title), an eight-part series for E4 that looks at the lives of a group of glamorous young adults. Shooting on the series starts this month, with a launch planned for spring/summer. Additionally, Monkey is preparing a third season of Young, Dumb and Living Off Mum for BBC Three. The show gives a group of spoiled 17- to 25-year-olds with no life skills a fast-track lesson in independent adulthood.

Dillistone will oversee the new commissions. Most recently she series produced reality drama The Only Way is Essex. She spent the last three years at Lime Pictures, in senior development and production roles.

David Granger, Monkey’s managing director, commented: “It’s proving a great start for us in 2011. We hope Young, Dumb will once again be a cornerstone program for BBC Three going into its third season, and we think the cast of Chelsea Girls (working title) are a fantastic discovery who we can’t wait to introduce to viewers.”

Will Macdonald, the creative director for Monkey, added: "Sarah has fabulous creative instincts and knows how to get great stories from real life characters, as she did in the runaway success that was The Only Way is Essex. We’re excited to bring her unmatched talents to Chelsea Girls (working title), and she’s also developing some amazing new projects alongside it."

Dillistone said: “Joining Monkey offers me the chance to take all the experience I’ve gained in this genre and help create programs I love. The huge appetite for shows like The Only Way is Essex and The Hills illustrates how U.K. audiences’ tastes have evolved. What makes a breakout hit is its characters, and I believe that we have found them in Chelsea Girls (working title)."