Twenty Twenty Productions Hires Maxine Watson as Director of Programmes
In a newly created role, Watson will oversee all productions and ensure the highest standards of creativity, originality and distinctiveness across all content. She will manage the company’s team of Executive Producers and be responsible for attracting the best senior creative talent to the company and will also executive produce her own projects. Watson will take up her newly created role in April and report to Tim Carter, CEO Twenty Twenty Productions.
On joining, Watson says: “I am delighted to be joining Twenty Twenty as Director of Programmes to help them continue to create and deliver the great depth and fantastic range of output that they are so well known for. I am proud to have worked for the BBC and had one of the best jobs in television, working with some of the smartest people in the business. It has been a privilege and a blast. I am excited for the challenge ahead.”
Watson joins from the BBC where she was an award-winning Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, working mainly across BBC One and BBC Two. Her documentary credits include “Who Do You Think You Are?,” “Famous, Rich and Homeless,” “The Day the Immigrants Left,” “Grumpy Old Men” and “Baby P: The Untold Story.” Her factual based dramas include “Mrs Mandela” for BBC Four, “Shirley” – a drama charting the rise to fame of singer Dame Shirley Bassey for BBC Two – and “The Scandalous Lady W.” More recently, commissions include “The Met: Policing London,” “Camilla’s Kids Company: The Inside Story,” “Lawful Killing: Mark Duggan,” “Absolutely Fashion: Inside British Vogue,” “Class of 92: Out of their League,” “Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute” and “The Great Pottery Throw Down.”
Commenting on the appointment, Tim Carter, CEO Twenty Twenty Productions said: “I’ve worked with Max for years and she’s always made our shows better. When you look at the programmes she’s behind, it’s roll-call of distinction. I’m a big fan, and the people we do business with are too. Over the past couple of years we have re-energised development and brought direction and focus to our hugely successful returning formats. Now it’s time to match that firepower in production.”
Commenting on Watson’s departure from the BBC Alison Kirkham, Controller Factual Commissioning, says: “Maxine Watson has made an enormous contribution to the BBC Factual commissioning dept, overseeing an incredible breadth of projects from acclaimed documentaries such as The Met to factual dramas such as ‘The Scandalous Lady W’ and hugely popular series such as ‘Who Do you Think You Are?’ and ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down.’ A passionate, committed and inspiring colleague, she will be much missed, and I wish her all the very best in her new role.”
About Twenty Twenty Productions:
We are proud of our reputation for originality and innovation, and have been making award-winning shows for global audiences since 1982.
Today our focus is on creating intelligent, eye-catching formats that make viewers feel happy and alive.
Our output spans documentary, reality, entertainment and children’s, and our work has been recognised by BAFTA, Emmy, Grierson and the Royal Television Society.
Our current, much-loved returning shows include “First Dates,” which has launched in every English speaking territory in the world, and “The Choir” franchise, now celebrating 10 years of exclusive collaboration with Gareth Malone.
To find out more about Twenty Twenty Productions programmes, please visit: https://www.twentytwenty.tv/whatwedo.aspx