BBC Studios Taps Optomen Alum Mel Bezalel

BBC Studios Productions has appointed Optomen alum Mel Bezalel to lead its new central development and design team beginning in June.

Led by Bezalel, the new team, which sits within the recently formed unscripted productions division, will creatively and strategically support idea generation and pitching to the highest standard across the division and deliver assets and pitching materials for formats and new IP to commissioners around the globe.

The new unscripted productions team was created as part of the newly formed development division headed up by Karl Warner, executive VP of BBC Studios Entertainment and Digital Development.

Orbiting the central development and design team will be a new reality label, a new factual entertainment label and the existing mixed entertainment label Rebel Rebel Pictures. Together, they form Warner’s new entertainment development division, focused on new IP and formats for the BBC and other U.K. and global platforms, as well as reimagining international ideas for the British market. Shows that get greenlit in the U.K. will be produced by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, led by its managing director, Suzy Lamb.

Bezalel joins from Optomen, where she is currently creative director of development. Prior to that, she was a commissioning editor at Channel 4 for three years, where she developed and commissioned new reality formats and popular format shows. Her credits there included The Honesty Box, E4’s biggest new launch on streaming since 2021; The Underdog: Josh Must Win; Married at First Sight specials and podcast; Vicky Pattison: My Deep Fake Sex Tape; and Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD?, among others.

In the independent sector, Bezalel was previously. director of development at RDF and held senior roles at Twenty Twenty and Me & You Productions. Her development and production credits include Lodgers For Codgers (Channel 4), 100 Year Old Driving School (ITV), Shop Well For Less (BBC One), Rock Til You Drop (BBC Two), Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life (Sky), Hoff the Record (UKTV), GPs: Behind Closed Doors (Channel 5) and The Met (BBC One).

“It’s a real privilege to be joining this brilliant new era at BBC Studios; the creative momentum and vision led by Suzy and Karl is so exciting,” said Bezalel. “In this role, I’ll be collaborating across the global business, creating partnerships and pushing creative boundaries with my new team, and I can’t wait to get stuck in!”

Warner added, “Mel is one of the best creatives and collaborators I’ve met. She has a sharp strategic mind and her experience on both sides of the table, in development and commissioning, means she’s the perfect person to help bring our new, ambitious strategy to life.”