UKTV Taps BBC’s Sarah Asante for Comedy

UKTV has brought in Sarah Asante, a BBC alum, as commissioning editor to ramp up its scripted comedy slate.

Asante will join UKTV’s commissioning team on April 12 and will be responsible for seeking out, developing, commissioning and executive producing brand-new scripted comedy shows for both Dave and Gold. She joins from the BBC and with more than 16 years of experience working in commissioning. She started in the BBC’s comedy team as a development and digital content editor in 2015 and was promoted to commissioning editor in 2018. Her recent commissions include the cult hit sketch show FAMALAM and comedy pilot Behind the Filter, written by Phoebe Walsh.

Pete Thornton, UKTV’s head of scripted, to whom Asante will report, said: “This is a transformative hire for us. I know that UKTV is going to benefit hugely from Sarah’s experience and enthusiasm and I’m really looking forward to working with her on our burgeoning scripted slate. She joins the company at an exciting time and I’m sure she’ll quickly make her mark. As well as taking the reins on a number of returning series, Sarah will be integral in generating a portfolio of fresh content for the network. So with all that in mind, I can’t wait for her to join the team.”

Asante added: “Having admired both the comedy and comedy entertainment titles on Dave and Gold over the years, I’m beyond thrilled to play a role in seeing those channels go from strength to strength. The added commitment to amplifying more underrepresented voices in comedy matches my ambition to deliver exciting and distinctive content that audiences across the portfolio will love.”