The BBC has appointed Chris Sussman as its new director of comedy, marking his return to the broadcaster after previous roles at Netflix U.K. and BBC Studios. In his latest position, Sussman will oversee the corporation’s comedy division, which the BBC describes as the United Kingdom’s premier producer of original British scripted comedy content.
Sussman’s appointment follows the departure of Jon Petrie, who announced his exit in June after five years leading the department. Petrie has since moved to Hat Trick Productions as creative director. The new comedy chief will report directly to chief content officer Kate Phillips and manage the BBC’s comedy commissioning team, supervising both established shows and upcoming series across the network’s portfolio.
Drawing on extensive industry experience, Sussman previously helped develop Netflix U.K.’s scripted programming, contributing to series such as “Man Versus Bee” and “Baby Reindeer.” During his tenure at BBC Studios, he managed television and radio comedy slates and successfully secured the company’s first partnerships with major streaming platforms, including Apple and Amazon. Sussman will begin his role next month, with Emma Lawson continuing as acting director until his arrival.
Originally reported by Variety →
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