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Exclusive: Viacom International Studios’ (Vis) former talent boss has landed the top talent job at Married at First Sight UK producer Cpl Productions.

Simon Shearer-Wright moved to Cpl last month to take on the Head of Talent and Hr role. Reporting to CEO Danielle Lux, he is overseeing the Red Arrow Studios-backed producer’s strategy for sourcing, growing and retaining talent both within the company and on specific productions.

Cpl is best known for producing E4 smash Married at First Sight UK and makes a wealth of UK unscripted shows including A League of Their Own and Rob & Romesh Vs., along with dabbling in scripted with the likes of BBC comedy Ellie & Natasia.

“The TV industry thrives on talent, both in front of and behind the camera,” said Lux. “At Cpl we believe nurturing and developing all our staff and creating a culture where they’re empowered...

“What We Do in the Shadows” delighted its fans for a continued fourth season last year as the hit vampire comedy reached new heights in terms of critical success and straight-up laugh-out-loud moments.

Jermaine Clement‘s series, adapted from his and Taika Waititi‘s 2014 movie of the same name, follows four vampire roommates living in modern-day New York: Matt Berry‘s Laszlo, Kayvan Novak‘s Nandor, Mark Proksch‘s Colin Robinson, and Natasia Demetriou‘s Nadja. All four comedians have their own style and brand of comedy that combine to create a brilliant show.

As Nadja, Demetriou is the only female lead and takes full advantage of this spotlight — her pitch-perfect accent blending brilliantly with her skills as a physical comedy actress. Demetriou is also, clearly, an intelligent, natural performer — as Nadja, she knows when to ramp it up, when to dial it down, and fulfills the potential of each...

David Mitchell is returning to the BBC for genre-bending detective comedy Ludwig, which features on a five-strong comedy slate alongside Hulu co-production Dinosaur and a show from The Duchess star Michelle de Swarte.

Unveiling his first major comedy slate at this afternoon’s BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff, the corporation’s Comedy Director Jon Petrie said the shows reflect “the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity.”

The slate is led by Ludwig, Peep Show star Mitchell’s first BBC project since Upstart Crow, which follows the eponymous protagonist as he takes on the identity of his brother, Dci James Taylor, who has disappeared off the face of the earth. Mitchell’s Ludwig lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living under his nom-de-plume, and he struggles to adapt to being a twin who happens to be a successful Dci leading Cambridge’s busy inner-city major crimes team.

The 2023 BAFTA TV Awards took place at Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday evening, honoring the best performances in British television in 2022. The ceremony, which was hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan, paid tribute to an eclectic mix of popular British shows and international hits.

The third and final season of “Derry Girls” was a big winner, with Lisa McGee’s Netflix-distributed series winning Best Scripted Comedy and Best Female Performance In a Comedy Program for Siobhán Mcsweeney.

Kate Winslet also had a big night, winning Best Leading Actress for her role in the Channel 4 series “I Am Ruth.” The series was also honored with a win in the Single Drama category. Best Leading Actor went to Ben Whishaw for his work on “This Is Going to Hurt.” Netflix’s “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” won Best International Series.

On the unscripted side,...