BBC Studios Names EVP of Entertainment & Music

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BBC Studios has promoted Ryan O’Dowd, former lead of the unscripted team, to executive VP of entertainment and music for its Los Angeles production arm.

In his new role, O’Dowd will focus on developing high-profile, talent-driven projects, major entertainment formats and original series. He will actively collaborate with producers on top formats and original programs for the U.S. market.

As the lead of unscripted, O’Dowd played a key role in securing new series orders from major broadcast networks and streaming services. He is currently an executive producer of the game show Weakest Link on NBC and helms the team that reimagined the Walk on the Wild Side format as the comedy series When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren on ABC. Earlier this year, O’Dowd was involved in developing, packaging, pitching and executive producing the Netflix true-crime documentary Murder Among the Mormons.

“Ryan has been a driving force in leading the charge for us to achieve record growth in unscripted over the past year, and I look forward to him playing an even greater role in expanding our business,” said Valerie Bruce, general manager of L.A. productions for BBC Studios. “He brings passion, commitment and endless energy to every project he tackles. His creativity, along with his development acumen and his flair for talent relations, have proven to be a winning combination.”

O’Dowd added, “It’s a real privilege to lead our creative team in Los Angeles. All the recent success we’ve achieved is a direct reflection of the incredibly talented group we have in this office. I feel fortunate to be in business with so many great network and streaming partners and such tremendous talent both on and off the screen. I’m excited for the future and very much looking forward to announcing and launching a handful of new projects in the new year.”