BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions today announces the appointments of two highly experienced creative executives to its North American scripted business.  Rachel Bendavid and Angie Stephenson have jointly been named Executive Vice Presidents, Scripted Programming for BBC Studios Productions, both reporting into Valerie Bruce, the Head and General Manager of BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions.  The production arm has achieved record success and launched 12 new series over the past three years with partners including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, National Geographic, Netflix and Peacock.  Bendavid and Stephenson will work in close collaboration with BBC Studios Productions’ President of Scripted, Mark Linsey, with all three executives in the Los Angeles office.

A key base in the company’s Global Entertainment network delivering world-class content, BBC Studios’ Los Angeles scripted production business is well established and has earned critical success spanning both comedy and drama programming.  The thriving production arm just premiered the third season of its #1 break-out comedy hit Ghosts U.S. on CBS, produced by CBS Studios in association with Lionsgate and inspired by the beloved British series of the same name.

Bendavid joins BBC Studios from her recent role as the Head of Scripted Programming for the co-production partnership between Lionsgate and BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions, which launched the hit series Ghosts. Stephenson has been elevated from her prior role as BBC Studios’ Senior Vice President of Scripted Development.

“Rachel and Angie are both exceptionally accomplished, and I have confidence that they will combine their talents to help us fuel the continued growth of our scripted business,” said Bruce. “With over a decade of experience at ABC overseeing hit shows such as The Good Doctor and Once Upon a Time, Rachel brings sharp creative acumen and an extensive network of industry relationships cultivated throughout her career.  Prior to that, Rachel worked at FOX, where she dedicated her creative talents to guiding iconic series including Glee and J.J. Abrams’ Fringe.  Angie has proven expertise working with leading U.S. buyers and as an executive producer on a range of break-out series including The Night Of, Ghosts, Call Me Kat and Welcome to Flatch.  She is passionate about collaborating with British and American creatives, bolstered by her deep understanding of both cultures which makes her uniquely adept at bringing them together to develop fresh, compelling content that audiences embrace.”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to lead BBC Studios LA scripted programming into its next chapter,” said Bendavid and Stephenson. “BBC Studios has some of the most beloved and successful global brands to inspire us, a passion for creative excellence, great story telling, and outstanding talent on both sides of the Atlantic. We are truly excited about what lies ahead.”

Stephenson and Bendavid will work with top talent in the U.K. and U.S. to reimagine hit British formats for the U.S. market, capitalizing on BBC Studios’ prestigious, wide-ranging library, while also curating and developing original programming.  They will build on BBC Studios’ existing slate of projects in development, spanning both comedy and drama, which are already set up with a number of partners in Los Angeles.  A key focus for Stephenson and Bendavid will be active collaboration with BBC Studios’ U.K. producers and indie partners, to develop projects for the North American market, creating a bridge for U.K. talent to the U.S.

These U.K. indie partners and production labels represent leading British talent and the creative voices behind an array of acclaimed programs and include: Clerkenwell Films (True Love, The End of the F***ing World), Lookout Point (Happy Valley, The Ballad of Renegade Nell), Boffola (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Sid Gentle Films (Rain Dogs, Killing Eve), House Productions (Sherwood, The Good Mothers), Firebird Pictures (Wilderness, Wahala), Baby Cow (Changing Ends, Chivalry), BBC Comedy Productions (Trying, Good Omens), Expectation (Alma’s Not Normal, Guilt), Moonage Pictures (Bodies, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder), Turbine Studios (Small Axe, Constellation), and Various Artists Limited (I May Destroy You, Juice).

Stephenson has overseen creative development and production of scripted shows spanning both comedy and drama and identified and developed content for U.S. buyers, across streaming, broadcast, and premium channels.  She is BBC Studios’ Executive Producer for Ghosts and was Executive Producer for Welcome to Flatch, Call Me Kat, and The Night Of, as well as Co-Producer on Da Vinci’s Demons.  Stephenson joined BBC Studios as Vice President, Programming, Co-Production and Acquisition. In that role, she was responsible for developing international co-productions, identifying formats and program acquisition. Previously, she oversaw the BBC Talent division in the UK, where she directed initiatives to nurture new writers and performers.

Before leading the Lionsgate / BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions scripted co-production partnership, Bendavid was Vice President of Drama Programming for ABC Entertainment where she oversaw numerous hit shows including The Good Doctor and Once Upon a Time.  Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Drama Development for FOX where she shepherded J.J. Abrams’ Emmy® nominated Fringe and Golden Globe® winning series Glee.

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group with sales of £2.1 billion (2021/22: £1,630 million). Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the global Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes content globally and Channels & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. Around 2,500 hours of award-winning British programmes are made by the business every year, with over 80% of total BBC Studios revenues coming from non-BBC customers including Discovery, Apple and Netflix. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who. BBC.com is BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, offering up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features.

In the U.S, BBC Studios operates both a distribution business and one of its major production units. The production unit, based in Los Angeles, creates and produces adaptations of UK programs, as well as all new original programs, for linear and digital platforms in the U.S. This production unit is responsible for the phenomenally successful, Emmy®-winning Dancing with the Stars, the multi-award-winning Life Below Zero franchise, the popular reboot of the classic quiz show Weakest Link and the revved up Top Gear America. In scripted, the team has achieved success adapting British hits, including Ghosts, Call Me Kat (based on the UK format Miranda), Welcome to Flatch (This Country in the UK), and The Night Of (Criminal Justice in the UK) for top U.S. broadcast networks.

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