Richard Watsham

Richard Watsham is Chief Creative Officer, UKTV & Global Director of Acquisitions, BBC Studios/UKTV

Richard

As Chief Creative Officer, Richard oversees the content pipeline servicing UKTV's brands and, alongside his UKTV commissioning remit, he has responsibility for BBC Studios' and UKTV's global acquisitions team, overseeing all content acquisition activity across BBC Studios' Branded Services and UKTV's portfolio of channels.

Prior to these roles, Richard was UKTV's Director of Commissioning, overseeing UKTV's award-winning commissioning team for nine years and has been praised for spearheading UKTV's successful originations strategy. He and his team of programme-makers-turned-commissioners produce bold, brand-defining programmes across every genre, except for sport, children's and current affairs.

In his time leading the commissioning team he's focused on strengthening talent and indie relationships while overseeing a huge expansion into new genres. During his tenure he's delivered a more than six fold increase in the number of shows UKTV commissions and the team is now commissioning for more channels across the network than ever before.

Richard and his team have been responsible for stand-out entertainment hits such as Meet The Richardsons, BAFTA and Emmy nominated Taskmaster, Judge Romesh, Hypothetical and Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish. In factual and fact ent, major successes include Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, Secrets of the London Underground, Inside the Ambulance and the landmark, specialist factual series, Expedition with Steve Backshall.

In scripted, Murder on the Blackpool Express and Red Dwarf have been the highest rating shows for Gold and Dave respectively. They are joined by commissions Flack for W, Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes for Gold and a slate of new crime dramas for pay channel, Alibi, Annika, Traces and We Hunt Together.