Los Angeles, CA – December 1, 2021 – BBC Studios announces the promotion of Ryan O’Dowd to Executive Vice President, Entertainment & Music for its Los Angeles production arm.  O’Dowd has established a proven track record at BBC Studios where he has led the Unscripted team to develop, sell and produce U.S. adaptations of hit global formats as well as original series, such as Weakest Link, When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren, Ex-Rated and Murder Among the Mormons.  In his new role, he will focus on developing high profile talent driven projects, major entertainment formats and original series, spanning across game shows, music programs and lifestyle series.  In addition to working with talent, industry executives and writers, Dowd will actively collaborate with UK producers, from BBC Studios and independent producers on top formats and original programs for the U.S. market.

O’Dowd has played a key role in securing new series orders from major broadcast networks and streaming services, which led to BBC Studios launching a fresh roster of Los Angeles productions in 2020-2021, hosted by influential talent.  O’Dowd is currently an Executive Producer of the hit game show Weakest Link on NBC, working with host Jane Lynch on this iconic global format, which he was instrumental in bringing back to the U.S. for the first time in 18 years. The format has since received a series order in Australia and returned to BBC One in the UK. He helms the team that reimagined the format Walk on the Wild Side as the comedy series When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren, which premiered on ABC this summer.  In August, he collaborated with Peacock to launch the provocative original format Ex-Rated, hosted by Andy Cohen, where he serves as Executive Producer for BBC Studios.

Earlier this year, he was actively involved in developing, packaging, pitching and ultimately, executive producing the break-out Netflix true crime documentary Murder Among the Mormons, which garnered major critical acclaim and became one of the Top 5 most watched documentary series on Netflix for 2021 to date, according to PlumResearch.  Over the past several years at BBC Studios, O’Dowd has built a strong working relationship with Bobby Bones and served as an Executive Producer on Breaking Bobby Bones, which premiered on National Geographic on Memorial Day.

“Ryan has been a driving force in leading the charge for us to achieve record growth in unscripted over the past year, and I look forward to him playing an even greater role in expanding our business,” said Valerie Bruce, General Manager, LA Productions, BBC Studios. “He brings passion, commitment and endless energy to every project he tackles.  His creativity, along with his development acumen and his flair for talent relations, have proven to be a winning combination.”

O’Dowd added, “It’s a real privilege to lead our creative team in Los Angeles. All the recent success we’ve achieved is a direct reflection of the incredibly talented group we have in this office. I feel fortunate to be in business with so many great network and streaming partners, and such tremendous talent both on and off the screen. I’m excited for the future and very much looking forward to announcing and launching a handful of new projects in the New Year.”

O’Dowd was most recently BBC Studios’ Senior Vice President, Entertainment Development, LA Productions. Prior to joining BBC Studios, he served as Vice President of Development for Ryan Seacrest Productions.

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios, a global content company with bold British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, its activities span content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries across both its own productions and programs and formats made by high-quality UK independents. Award-winning British programs made by the business are internationally recognized across a broad range of genres and specializations, with brands like Dancing with the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, and Doctor Who. BBC.com, BBC Studios’ global digital news platform, provides up-to-the-minute international news, in-depth analysis and features to more than 139 million unique browsers each month. BBC Studios has offices in 20 markets globally, including ten production bases in the UK and production bases or partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which ordinarily makes around 2,000 hours of content a year for both the BBC and third parties including Apple, Netflix, and Migu, is a champion for British creativity around the world. It is also a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector through a mix of equity partnerships, content investment, and international distribution for program titles.

In the U.S, BBC Studios operates both a distribution business and one of its major production units. The production unit, based in Los Angeles, creates and produces adaptations of UK programs, as well as all new original programs, for linear and digital platforms in the U.S. This production unit is responsible for the phenomenally successful, Emmy^®-winning Dancing with the Stars, the multi-award-winning Life Below Zero franchise, the revved up Top Gear America, and the popular reboot of the classic quiz show Weakest Link, among others. In scripted, the team has achieved success adapting British hits, including Call Me Kat (based on the UK format Miranda), Welcome to Flatch (This Country in the UK), and Ghosts for top U.S. broadcast networks.

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