Laura Lankester and Will Johnston to Lead Lookout Point

Laura Lankester and Will Johnston have been tapped as joint CEOs of Lookout Point.

Both recently served as executive producers at the BBC Studios-owned outfit behind Gentleman Jack and Happy Valley. They succeed CEO Faith Penhale, who is stepping down at the end of the year.

“Our time so far at Lookout Point has been a big adventure,” Lankester and Johnston said in a joint statement. “We are excited to continue alongside the brilliant wider team and with the support of BBC Studios. We are proud of our shared track record with Faith delivering ambitious drama for big audiences, and we have learned so much from her. The new opportunity for us now is to lead together, to continue to enrich and diversify our programming and to offer talent the solidarity and support that comes from our close creative partnership. We can’t wait to get started.”

Mark Linsey, managing director of scripted at BBC Studios, added, “Laura and Will are both fantastic creatives, with a strong track record in delivering ambitious, talked-about TV that grips audiences all over the world. They embody the DNA of Lookout Point while also bringing a renewed dynamism, fresh thinking and complementary perspectives to their joint CEO roles and creating shows that will deliver against the insatiable audience appetite for high-end drama. I’m looking forward to working with them as they take Lookout Point on the next stage of its creative journey.”

Lookout Point, which recently wrapped the South African crime thriller Devil’s Peak, is currently working on The Ballad of Renegade Nell for Disney+.