Ryan O’Dowd, President of Unscripted at BBC Studios, has proven himself to be a major force in driving break-through results for the company’s U.S. Unscripted business. He has been at the forefront of leading the charge to develop, sell and produce a strong slate of U.S. adaptations of hit global formats.  He led the Unscripted team to secure multiple new series orders from major broadcast networks and top streaming partners, including ABC, Amazon, NBC, Netflix, Fox and Peacock.  Based on these successful commissions, O’Dowd spearheaded the launch of an entire roster of high-profile U.S. productions, hosted by influential talent, including Helen Mirren, Jane Lynch, Andy Cohen, Patton Oswalt and Joel McHale.

O’Dowd focuses heavily on developing talent-driven projects, major entertainment formats, and original series, spanning across game shows, competition shows, music and lifestyle series. In addition to working with top talent, leading industry executives, and writers, O’Dowd and his team actively collaborate with U.K. producers, from BBC Studios as well as independent producers, on top formats and original programs for the U.S. market.

O’Dowd is BBC Studios’ Executive Producer for the iconic, multi-Emmy winning powerhouse series Dancing with the Stars, which delivered a record-breaking season in 2024. He leads the team that developed and produces the U.S. version of the global entertainment sensation The 1% Club, which O’Dowd executive produces, with Fox as the broadcast partner.  He is an Executive Producer of the returning hit survival competition series Outlast on Netflix, produced in partnership with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films.  In a break-through achievement, O’Dowd brought the game show Weakest Link back to the U.S. for the first time in 18 years on NBC and rebooted the format with Jane Lynch, who earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host. The success of the reboot generated a resurgence of global interest which BBC Studios harnessed to launch fresh new versions in the U.K., Australia and France. Under O’Dowd’s leadership as Executive Producer, as well as a writer on the show, Weakest Link won a Writers Guild Award and has been nominated multiple times.

O’Dowd helms the team that reimagined the format Walk on the Wild Side as the comedy series When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren on ABC. He executive produced the break-out hit Netflix true crime documentary Murder Among the Mormons and worked with Peacock to launch the provocative original format Ex-Rated, hosted by Andy Cohen, serving as Executive Producer for BBC Studios. O’Dowd executive produced the critically acclaimed docuseries Wrestlers on Netflix, lauded as one of the best shows of 2023 and nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best New Non-Scripted/Documentary Series.  His additional credits at BBC Studios include Executive Producer for Breaking Bobby Bones on National Geographic.

Prior to joining BBC Studios, O’Dowd was Vice President of Development for Ryan Seacrest Productions, where he was responsible for developing, formatting, and running new unscripted series while managing and overseeing all creative and logistical elements. O’Dowd began his career on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC), followed by writing and producing major broadcast formats and live events including The Emmys (CBS), CMA Awards (ABC), Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (ABC) and The Billboard Music Awards (ABC).  He has written for some of the entertainment industry’s biggest names, including Jay Leno, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ryan Seacrest, Heidi Klum, and Saturday Night Live’s Darrell Hammond and Andy Samberg.

O’Dowd has also served as a political consultant and writer for a United States President, a Vice Presidential candidate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, along with various gubernatorial candidates and cabinet members in Presidential administrations.