The BBC is poaching the Netflix exec who worked on The Crown as its new drama director
- Lindsay Salt becomes BBC Director of Drama – one of the most famous jobs in television
- She previously worked at Netflix on The Crown season 5 and at Sky Drama
- In a statement, she said the opportunity to work at the BBC was “too special to ignore”.
- It comes after BBC Drama chief executive Mona Qureshi left this year for Netflix
That BBC has employed Netflix‘s scriptwriter Lindsay Salt as the public broadcaster’s new director of drama – widely regarded as one of the most prestigious jobs in British television.
Ms Salt, who has commissioned Netflix shows such as Half Bad, One Day and worked on hit series The Crown, will replace Piers Wenger, who left the BBC earlier this year to join the Hollywood Join indie studio A24.
Ms Salt also worked on Heartstopper and the fifth season of The Crown series, due out in November this year.
Lindsay Salt (pictured) will serve as the public broadcaster’s new dramaturge
Her credits for the streaming service, which she joined in 2019, also include Baby Reindeer, Palomino and The F*** it Bucket.
Before joining Netflix, she was Head of Development for Sky’s drama team, where she led development on Sky One and Sky Atlantic. Her work includes The Lazarus Project and The Third Day.
It is understood she will report directly to Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, and will lead the drama commissioning team.
Her new role is set to begin in the fall. Meanwhile, Ben Irving, who has been voted for the top job by many in the UK drama community, will continue as acting director.
The recruitment represents a major win for the BBC and is a rare opportunity for a public broadcaster to sign streaming talent.
In general, this was usually the opposite. Earlier this year, BBC drama head Mona Qureshi was hired by Netflix to join the script series team.
In a statement, BBC content director Charlotte Moore said: “Lindsay’s appointment heralds an exciting new era for BBC drama.
“She has overseen an impressive range of shows and her track record as commissioner underscores her passion for creating big hits and developing new and diverse voices.
At Netflix, she worked on the fifth season of the streaming service’s hit series The Crown
“She is an inspirational creative leader with a keen understanding of the tastes of British audiences, which positions her perfectly to lead the genre into the future with work that will continue to push boundaries and disrupt the mainstream.
“BBC Drama is in superb form and she has ambitious plans to further develop the creative strategy and build her own distinctive roster which is unique to the BBC and is proving particularly relevant to audiences across the UK in a highly competitive global landscape.”
In her own statement, Ms Salt added: “My time at Netflix under the generous and visionary leadership of Anne Mensah has been a total delight.
“However, the opportunity to join the BBC was too special to ignore. Its drama program is revered around the world and I can’t wait to get started with the world-class team that empowers talent and producers to create iconic shows that stand the test of time.
“What a privilege to build on that legacy and to find and nurture the storytelling that will take us into the BBC’s next pivotal phase.”
