New Controller Of BBC Drama Commissioning Named

Polly Hill has been announced as the new Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning.

Danny Cohen, Director of BBC Television, said: "I'm delighted that Polly will be leading BBC Drama Commissioning. She has an exceptional track record for delivering outstanding drama. From Wolf Hall to Poldark and The Missing, Polly's work speaks for itself and is driven by her passion for writing and storytelling. BBC Drama is in wonderful shape. We are determined to keep developing our reputation for dramatic range and quality, working with the very best established and emerging writers and being home to the most ambitious and risky projects."

On her new appointment, Polly Hill said: "I am delighted and honoured to be taking over as the Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning. Under Ben Stephenson's leadership BBC Drama has thrived, it's in an incredible place and I would like to personally thank him. I look forward to steering BBC Drama into the future and building on this success, continuing to be the home of the most original and ambitious storytelling across a range of drama that is unique to the BBC."

In her current role as Head of Independent Drama since 2011, Hill has been responsible for a range of BAFTA-nominated dramas including The Missing, The Honourable Woman, The Shadow Line, Accused, Ripper Street, The Village, Death In Paradise, Poldark and Wolf Hall.

Polly joined the BBC in 2005 as an executive producer and then became a commissioning editor in 2008. Prior to joining the BBC, she was a producer on Cherished by Gwyneth Hughes, which won the Grierson Award. She worked at Channel 4 where she oversaw the first series of Teachers and started her career working for Verity Lambert, before getting her first script editing job on EastEnders.

Polly Hill will work with Ben Stephenson over the coming days as she begins her new role.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP)