Ryan O’Dowd expands role to lead BBC Studios’ Scripted and Unscripted production in Los Angeles

BBC Studios is evolving its Los Angeles production business by bringing its Scripted and Unscripted operations under a single leadership structure - mirroring its other international production bases - and designed to strengthen collaboration, creative development and production across its US slate.

As part of the changes, Ryan O’Dowd has been promoted to President, BBC Studios Global Productions LA, expanding his remit to oversee all production activity at the company’s Los Angeles base across both Scripted and Unscripted.

O’Dowd has led BBC Studios’ Unscripted business in Los Angeles, overseeing a growing slate that includes Dancing with the Stars and Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro for ABC, Nation’s Dumbest and The 1% Club for FOX, Celebrity Weakest Link for FOX and Outlast for Netflix. In his expanded role, he will now oversee the full Los Angeles production operation, including its Scripted business and development slate.

The new structure brings BBC Studios’ Los Angeles creative and production teams more closely together while providing greater leverage with the company’s wider Global Productions network, including its international creative expertise, development capabilities, production infrastructure and global partnerships.

As part of this evolution, BBC Studios is also refining its approach to Scripted production in Los Angeles. The business will remain firmly multi-genre, with a dedicated Scripted focus operating within the broader LA production operation under O’Dowd’s leadership.

As a result of the new structure, Mark Linsey, President, Scripted LA, and Angie Stephenson, EVP, Scripted LA, will be leaving their current their roles.

Linsey departs following a career spanning more than two decades within the BBC Group. From his role as BBC Controller of Entertainment, where he helped shape some of the most successful and enduring TV programmes including Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, The Graham Norton Show, and MasterChef - to serving as Acting Director of Television - he has combined outstanding creative judgment with strong leadership. Launching BBC Studios as a commercial business in 2016 and it’s merger with BBC Worldwide in 2018, Linsey most recently spearheaded the growth of its world-class Scripted portfolio, including titles such as Good Omens, Doctor Who, Happy Valley, Baby Reindeer and the Oscar-winning Conclave.

Working alongside Linsey, Stephenson has played an important role in building BBC Studios’ Scripted business in Los Angeles, developing creative opportunities and establishing strong relationships across the U.S. television industry. During her tenure, she has worked across series including Mammoth for FOX, Getting On and Night Of for HBO and Welcome to Flatch, and CBS’ hit comedy Ghosts, collaborating with talent on both sides of the Atlantic to bring British creative ideas and formats to American audiences.

BBC Studios continues to have an active Scripted development slate with leading US buyers and partners, including Disney/Hulu, FX and FOX, alongside opportunities across the wider marketplace. Los Angeles remains a key creative and production hub for BBC Studios and an important part of the company’s ambitions in the U.S.

Matt Forde, President, BBC Studios Global Productions, said: “Bringing our Los Angeles production activity together under Ryan’s leadership gives us an opportunity to build an even more connected and collaborative creative business in one of the most important television markets in the world. Ryan has proven himself to be an outstanding leader, building a terrific Unscripted slate that includes hits such as Nation’s Dumbest for FOX, Outlast for Netflix, Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro and the resurgent Dancing with the Stars for ABC.

“We have an exciting pipeline of Scripted development with some of the leading buyers in the US, and this structure puts us in a strong position to build on that momentum while drawing on the full breadth of BBC Studios’ creative and production expertise around the world.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with Mark for more than a decade, both in the U.S. and the UK. He has had an exceptional career across the BBC and BBC Studios and has made an enormous contribution to our creative success and to the wider television industry. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership, vision and commitment, and wish him every success in his next chapter.

“I also want to thank Angie for the significant impact she has made on our Scripted business in LA, where she’s been instrumental in developing our slate, building important creative relationships and helping bring some fantastic shows to American audiences. We wish her all the very best as she now moves into producing.”

Ryan O’Dowd, President, BBC Studios Global Productions LA, said: “Los Angeles remains one of the most important creative markets for BBC Studios, and I’m incredibly excited to take on this expanded role. We have tremendous talent and creative ambition across both Scripted and Unscripted, and bringing our production activity together creates new opportunities to collaborate, share ideas and build on the momentum we already have.”

BBC Studios remains committed to investing in Los Angeles as a key creative and production hub, with a broad slate of projects in production and development across Scripted and Unscripted entertainment.

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About BBC Studios
BBC Studios is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd and generated revenues of £2.1 billion in the last year and profits of over £200 million for a fifth consecutive year. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the content studio, which produces, invests and distributes TV and audio globally and media & streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including UKTV, BBC.com and BritBox and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made almost 3,500 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide range of UK and global broadcasters and platforms. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who.