The Documentary Unit at BBC Studios is the home of high quality, thought-provoking and award-winning factual television.
Powerful storytelling is at the heart of what we do - and this helps us take…
KEY TITLES
Our Team
Alan Holland
Head of the Documentary Unit
Alan is Head of the Documentary Unit, setting and leading on the unit’s creative strategy. As an exp...erienced Executive Producer he has produced programmes across a wide range of genres, from specialist factual (What’s the Matter With Tony Slattery?, People’s History of the NHS), to consumer and crime (Watchdog, Crimewatch) and live events (Stargazing Live, The Pride of Britain Awards, D-Day 75).
Kirsty Cunningham
Creative Director, Documentaries
Kirsty oversees the delivery of programming for Documentaries. Kirsty has joined from 72 Films, her ...executive producer credits include the BAFTA-winning Ambulance, Our Cops in the North, and award-winning Girls on the Edge. Prior to this she’s worked as a director and producer on a wide range of documentaries and formats including A Killing in My Family, Protecting Our Foster Kids, Big Ballet and 24 Hours in A&E.
Abigail Priddle
Creative Director, Specialist Factual
Abigail brings 4 years of experience as a BBC Commissioning Editor to her role as Creative Director ...for Specialist Factual. Her previous credits include BAFTA-winning The Yorkshire Ripper Files, Chris Packham: Asperger’s & Me, Princess Margaret: Rebel Royal, and My Family The Holocaust & Me with Robert Rinder. Prior to this, Abigail was a Director making a wide range of factual programming from acclaimed documentaries including The Met and 24 Hours in A&E, to popular returners including Back in Time… and Hunted.
Ben Mitchell
Creative Director, Popular Factual
Ben Mitchell is Creative Director of Popular Factual. Previous exec credits include BAFTA-winning T...he Island with Bear Grylls, Grierson-nominated 60 Days on the Streets and Grand Designs. He has produced many hit formats, including The Hotel, Undercover Boss, Shipwrecked and Ladette to Lady.
Sue Malone
Head of Business
With a background in documentary programming and extensive experience in leading production manageme...nt teams, Sue oversees the business development and strategic growth of the Documentary Unit. Previous credits include everything from established strands (Rip Off Britain), (For Love or Money), religious programming (Carols from Kings), Single Documentary (Danny Dyer on Harold Pinter) and Documentary Series including (Women at War), (Sex on the Couch).
Danny Yasruddin
Head of Production
Danny oversees production management teams for the Documentary Unit. Previously, Danny worked as a p...roduction executive for the BBC’s in-house documentaries and consumer teams, producing everything from the BAFTA award-winning single drama Don’t Take My Baby to primetime consumer series Watchdog and The One Show.
Cate Hall
Creative Director of Development, The Documentary Unit
Cate leads development across the Documentary Unit. As a programme maker she has worked across all f...actual genres and has developed many of the series she has gone on to produce. These include The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty for 72 Films, Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain and The Victorian Slum for Wall to Wall.
Emma Ong
Head of Commercial & Business Development, Science & Documentaries
Emma has held a variety of commercial and business development roles at the BBC, most recently overs...eeing the Factual production pipeline from Beijing as Head of Business Development. In her current role, Emma manages the end-to-end deal pipeline for The Science and Documentary Units, whilst continuing to oversee the China pipeline.
Andrew Downey
Head of Commercial, Rights & Business Affairs, Science & Documentary
Andrew has over 20 years’ experience of production and commissioning business affairs in the BBC and... BBC Studios supporting, at various times, Science, Docs, Arts, the NHU, News and Currents Affairs and Learning. Since Studios inception he has led on Production’s contractual relationships with several major SVOD clients and managed the Factual business affairs team in London and, more recently, Glasgow