Nigel Pope appointed Head of KEO North
15.04.14
Nigel Pope, MD of Maramedia, has been appointed Head of Keo North in Glasgow. Reporting to Keo’s Managing Director, Debbie Manners, Nigel will work across all genres, with particular focus on Specialist Factual and Children’s.
Nigel is a multi-award winning producer, specialising in Wildlife and Children’s programming. For BBC One he created Big Cat Week, which became a ratings success with more than seven million viewers each week. He followed that with Springwatch, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, and his children’s successes include The Really Wild Show and the BAFTA-winning game show Raven.
In 2011 he formed Maramedia with Jackie Savery, which achieved international success and another BAFTA nomination with the blue-chip epic Hebrides – Islands on the Edge. Nigel will continue to work with the Maramedia Brand, which will become part of the Keo Films group.
Debbie Manners said of the appointment, “It is really exciting to have Nigel on board in Scotland. As Keo broadens its programming slate, his experience in creating innovative and bar-raising natural history and children’s programming, as well as his commitment to Scotland, makes him a perfect addition to our brilliant team.”
Nigel added, “I am really proud to be working with Keo, a company that not only makes outstanding programmes but has proved that TV can really make a difference to people’s lives and have an impact way beyond the small screen.”
Highlands – a new four-part blue-chip series on the wildlife of the Scottish Highlands from Maramedia for BBC Scotland and BBC Two network – is already in production. Cameraman, Gordon Buchanan and other leading Natural History talents are signed for the project, which will deliver in 2016. ITV Studios Global Entertainment has secured international distribution for the series.
Craig Hunter, executive producer for BBC Scotland said, “This series is putting the kind of focus on Scottish wildlife that is usually reserved for what we normally think of as exotic locations, and harnessing it all from the big to the small, including the vagaries of the weather, to showcase it in a dynamic and captivating way.”
KEO North also has its first children’s commission – The Chocolate City – for CBBC’s My Life strand. Produced and directed by Nairobi-based Justin Purefoy, the programme was commissioned by Kez Margrie at CBBC.