BBC announces new comedy commissioning team

Including a talent development exec

New BBC comedy chief Jon Petrie has announced a fresh commissioning team, including a new role as head of talent development.

That job goes to Navi Lamba, formerly a digital commissioning editor for E4.

Meanwhile, producers Emma Lawson, who was behind Cuckoo and Trying, and Ben Caudell (Famalam, Mandy) have been appointed commissioning editors alongside Seb Barwell (Stath Lets Flats) who joins temporarily.

The new team will be in place by the end of January.

Petrie was appointed as the BBC’s director of comedy in July, replacing Shane Allen, who left to set up his own production company Boffola Pictures, which is now making a new comedy thriller with Daisy May Cooper.

Petrie, pictured, says: ‘We have managed to assemble an incredibly experienced, multi-talented team that have years of experience working in award-winning comedy.

‘I believe we are well-equipped to deal with the new challenges our industry faces, and we will continue to make BBC Comedy the unrivalled home of new and established talent in the UK.’

Of the new talent development role, he said: ‘It’s vital that we help support new talent on their development journey to creating long-form content and I’m especially keen that we have people in our team that are just as familiar with finding new talent through social media, as they are through the more traditional paths.

‘I’m confident that this team makes a clear statement we are the greatest place for established talent to bring their ideas and know that they will be handled with care, whilst new talent will know that we have the experience to support them with their future careers in comedy.’

The new appointment means that the full BBC comedy commissioning team is now