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“We need to be cheerleaders, not gatekeepers,” said UKTV’s commissioning editor Sarah Asante, during a discussion at Mipcom on diversity and inclusion in the TV industry.

“I have always heard that phrase: ‘gatekeepers.’ Barriers to access is a massive issue in this industry. Everyone trying to get in has a story about ‘having to know someone, having to be the son of a CEO or the daughter of a manager.’ That’s true, but there is a good number of commissioners of my cohort, who have my focus on how to tell the best stories from the biggest range of people.”

“This industry is always saying we need more content, but then they ask: ‘Oh, where are your credits?’ You don’t live up to what you say.”

Talking about putting disability front and center, Asante mentioned “Dave,” featuring three wheelchair-using leads, and “Dead Canny,” a working-class sitcom about a girl with supernatural powers.

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Diversity and how to best ensure it in the British TV industry was a topic of debate on Wednesday, the opening day of the Edinburgh TV Festival.

During a panel entitled “Insert (Diversity) Here,” for which The Hollywood Reporter served as media partner, writer-director and actor Adjani Salmon (Dreaming Whilst Black) signaled there aren’t enough diverse people in positions of power yet. He recalled pitching the BBC without success before starting to work with production firm Big Deal Films, which focuses on inclusive storytelling.

Then fellow panelist Sarah Asante, back then a commissioner at the BBC but now UKTV commissioning editor, saw it and gave it a chance on BBC Three. “I would ask myself ‘why is it that it just so happened that the only Black woman who read it is the person who saw the potential in it,” Salmon said.

The participants identify as disabled, from minority ethnic or low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Bafta has selected 20 producers from under-represented backgrounds to receive support and access to networking and career opportunities on its two-year Elevate scheme.

The selected producers include Ameenah Ayub Allen, a 2018 Screen Star of Tomorrow who produced Bafta winner Rocks.

The cohort was selected by a panel of industry experts led by Nahrein Kemp and including Annabel Jones, Cameron Roach, Fozia Khan, and Marcus Ryder.

The producers will be supported by a variety of industry consultants that include Dark Pictures producer and previous Screen star of tomorrow Yaw Basoah.

This...

BBC Comedy Director Jon Petrie has unveiled his new-look comedy commissioning team following a spate of recent departures, with AppleTV+’s Trying producer Emma Lawson joining alongside E4 digital commissioner Navi Lamba and Roughcut TV’s Seb Barwell.

Petrie’s appointment earlier this year came off the back of the departure of former Comedy Director Shane Allen, Head of Comedy Kate Daughton and Commissioning Editors Alex Moody and Sarah Asante, all within a few weeks of each other.

Replacements in the Commissioning Editor team are revealed today as Lawson, whose previous credits include Cuckoo and Peep Show, Mandy’s Ben Caudell, who has been acting but joins on a permanent basis, and Roughcut TV’s Stath Lets Flats producer Seb Barwell, who conversely joins on an acting basis for the next six months.

Lawson most recently worked on Rafe Spall’s AppleTV+ comedy Trying, which led to an in-house commissioning...

In today’s Global Bulletin, UKTV hires Sarah Asante to ramp up its comedy ambitions; Olga Hellsing and Thomas Douglas join the “Spencer” cast; Apc sells “Keeping Faith” season three in key territories; Lionsgate Play and Telkomsel partner in Indonesia; and Channel 4 serves up something new with “Cook Clever, Waste Less with Prue & Rupy.”

Hiring

UKTV has hired longtime BBC vet Sarah Asante to ramp up its scripted comedy division, reporting to UKTV head of scripted Pete Thornton. Asante will join Utkv on April 12 and be tasked with finding, developing, commissioning and executive producing new scripted comedy originals for channels Dave and Gold.

In her time at the BBC, Asante worked as development and digital content editor before being promoted to commissioning editor in 2018, where she handled editorial oversight for a slate of short form series and long form sketch and sitcom programs.

“This is a transformative hire for...

Hello International Insider readers, Jake Kanter here. As usual, I invite you to take a walk with me through the biggest global film and TV stories of the week. And just to say, we’ll be taking a break next Friday for Easter weekend in the UK. We hope you have a prosperous couple of weeks in our absence. Want to get in touch in the meantime? I’m on jkanter@deadline.com. Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Scoop: BBC Comedy Changes

A scoop to start you off: We have got wind of some changes in the BBC comedy team. Head of comedy Kate Daughton is leaving after five years, while commissioning editor Sarah Asante is off to UKTV, which is owned by BBC Studios. The departures come after comedy controller Shane Allen brought in I May Destroy You producer Tanya Qureshi as a commissioner,...

Exclusive: The BBC’s head of comedy Kate Daughton and comedy commissioner Sarah Asante are both leaving the British broadcaster after more than five years, Deadline hears.

Daughton is stepping down after first joining the BBC in April 2016. She declined to comment on her next move, but there is speculation that she could return to program making. Daughton previously produced Matt Berry’s BAFTA-winning Toast, a show that she helped revive for the BBC earlier this year, with the cult character heading to Hollywood.

During her time at the BBC, Daughton’s commissioning credits included the second season of Emmy-winning Fleabag and two seasons of Stephen Merchant’s upcoming community service series The Offenders, which will star Christopher Walken and is co-produced by Amazon. Other hits on her watch included Ghosts and Steve Coogan’s This Time With Alan Partridge.

Meanwhile, Asante is joining UKTV as a commissioning editor. She...

Mentors include Becky Martin, Nia DaCosta, Bart Layton, Stephen Beresford and Michael Pearce.

The BFI and Bafta have revealed 16 emerging filmmakers and the mentors who will guide them as part of their ongoing initiative to develop talent from under-represented groups.

Veep director Becky Martin and Candyman writer-director Nia DaCosta are among those who will mentor upcoming talent as part of the second BFI Network x Bafta Crew Mentoring scheme.

Others who will provide bespoke support, advice and guidance to young filmmakers as they work toward their first feature or major commission include American Animals director Bart Layton, Pride screenwriter Stephen...