BBC Studios has announced the appointment of Ralph Lee as Director of Content. This newly created role will have overall control of BBC Studios Productions creative strategy in the UK, and follows the announcement last month of Chief Creative Officer Mark Linseys enhanced remit across all of BBC Studios IP generating activities. As Director of […]
BBC Studios has announced the appointment of Ralph Lee as Director of Content. This newly created role will have overall control of BBC Studios Productions creative strategy in the UK, and follows the announcement last month of Chief Creative Officer Mark Linseys enhanced remit across all of BBC Studios IP generating activities.
As Director of Content, Lees principal responsibilities will span BBC Studios Productions UK editorial strategy, working closely with its creative leadership on new idea generation and the building of its development slate; assuring an environment in which creatives can deliver their best work; and taking overall responsibility for production management. Following this appointment, the genre Managing Directors for Factual, Scripted, Factual Entertainment and Events, and Entertainment and Music will report to Lee. Lee will also work closely alongside Anna Mallett, MD, Production, who will have overall accountability for BBC Studios Productions operations and P&L, as well as International Production & Formats. He will take up the new role, which reports to CEO Tim Davie, in October, and will sit on BBC Studios Executive Committee.
Lee brings 25 years experience in the UKs television sector to BBC Studios. He has spent the past 15 years in UK network commissioning roles, principally at Channel 4, and the previous decade in a range of factual production roles.
Most recently he has been Interim Chief Creative Officer at Channel 4, having previously served as Deputy Chief Creative Officer from 2014 to 2017, with editorial leadership of All 4. From 2010 to 2014 he was Channel 4s Head of Factual, where he created and ran a commissioning team which reportedly enjoyed notable impact and awards. Their commissions included The Secret Life of Four Year Olds, Grayson Perry: All Man, Gogglebox, First Dates, Benefits Street, Richard III: the King in the Car Park, 24 Hours in Custody and Educating Yorkshire.
Lee started his television career as a freelance researcher in 1993 before joining BBC Documentaries in 1997 as an Assistant Producer, becoming a Director where his credits included Simpsons Night, Monty Python Night and Decisive Moments. He later returned to freelance production until joining Channel 4 in 2002.
