LONDON – Viacom’s Comedy Central U.K. has hired BBC executive Louise Holmes as vp of programming.
Holmes most recently served as head of marketing for the BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC Four channels.
She will report to Jill Offman, managing director of Comedy Central U.K. and senior vp, international content, Comedy Central.
Holmes will be responsible for expanding on Comedy Central’s show acquisitions and original programming push. The U.K. network’s originals include Big Bad World, with The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison as the lead, Seann Walsh World, a look at online clips presented by the British stand-up performer the show is named after, and Mummy’s Boys, about a pair of adult brothers who must raise their young sibling when their mother unexpectedly dies, its first move into multi-camera comedy.
Holmes previously worked for Discovery Networks Italy as channel director.
“I am looking forward to building on the success of recent U.K. originations, such as Big Bad World and Seann Walsh World, and to strengthening the already rich acquisitions portfolio over the coming months to give audiences more of what they have come to love and expect from Comedy Central,” Holmes said.
Offman said Holmes’ experience would be “invaluable as we continue to grow Comedy Central, delivering the best and most innovative content to our 16-34 audience.”
E-mail: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
