RDF Bolsters Development Team

Banijay UK label RDF has appointed Andy Sockanathan as head of development and James Smales as senior development producer.

Sockanathan and Smales will initially focus on developing new quiz and game show formats for U.K. broadcasters and global SVOD platforms.

Sockanathan joins from ITV Studios label Potato, where he spent the last three years heading up the quiz and game development team.

Smales’ previous work experience includes Hungry Bear, Bandicoot and Triple Brew Media, co-creating The Answer Trap (Channel 4) and working as a development producer on The Masked Singer UK (ITV), Lingo (ITV and CBS), The Million Pound Cube (ITV) and Test Drive (BBC Scotland).

Both execs will report to RDF’s creative director, Rachel Arnold, and creative director of development, Jon Green.

Arnold said: “Andy and James join RDF at an exciting time as we look to re-energize and expand our quiz and game-show offering. They both have amazing creative minds, and their combined experience working on some of the biggest shows around will generate some brilliant ideas.”

Sockanathan commented: “The opportunity to build a brand-new team at the home of Tipping Point and Only Connect was too hard to turn down. We want to be the one-stop-shop for quiz and game on all platforms.”

Smales said: “I’m really excited to be working alongside a quiz juggernaut like Andy and can’t wait to start creating the next generation of quiz and game shows.”