Fiona Pitcher: Cv Summary

FIONA PITCHER Unlock the potential in people and ideas ______LONDON, UK 07813 095180 [email protected]

A creative TV professional who wins business and delivers the best from people in sometimes extraordinary circumstances - leading and training teams and presenters up to 100-strong in the African bush, across Continents and on one of the biggest live broadcasts on British TV. Many years experience as an executive producer and commissioner on more than 50 series across all factual genres. Winner of BAFTA Special and BAFTA business awards, RTS Factual for SPRINGWATCH and Emmy award for SOUTH PACIFIC (2010). Most recently the creator of UK wildlife primetime hits SPRINGWATCH and AUTUMNWATCH, BIG CAT WEEK and a key supplier to the ONE SHOW.

“Mesmerising...must see TV “ The Mirror on SPRINGWATCH, June 2012

“Incredible footage… a startling and entertaining reminder that the age of natural wonders is far from over.” Daily Mail on DECADE OF DISCOVERY, BBC TWO, 2010

“Breathtakingly beautfiul and justifies the licence fee on its own” The Times on SOUTH PACIFIC, BBC TWO, 2009 ______

Freelance Executive Producer, Fiona Pitcher Media Ltd, 2011 –

THE BURROWERS Constructed reality series based around 4 of the UK’s favourite animals, much loved but rarely seen. Creating animal theatres/artificial burrows to see them as never before, coupled with in-depth science and a massive burrow excavation DRAGONFLY TV for BBC TWO 3 x 60

SPRINGWATCH 2012 12 hours of live television, a river running through the production site and 50 kilometres of fibre optics to showcase the best British wildlife stories – live. AIs built to 88, and sustained audience over 3 weeks. 12 x 60 BBC TWO

Fiona Pitcher CV THE GREAT BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE British landscapes and their geology, with top comedian Hugh Dennis – who studied geology at Cambridge University, and COUNTRYFILE’s Julia Bradbury. 4 x 60 BBC ONE

PLANET EARTH SPECIALS Re-imagining the Planet Earth series for 5 specials for Earth Day, including the MAKING OF PLANET EARTH in a 2-hour special created with original footage 4 x 60, 1 x 120 BBC America

- key player/trainer in new initiative across the UK TV industry to support and train new presenters, particularly those with disabiities - PRESENTABLE. One-to-one coaching, particularly in preparation to cover the Olympics in 2012

- working with international conservation NGOs to provide media training, including the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

______

Executive Producer, BBC Natural History Unit, 1999 – 2011 TV HIGHLIGHTS

- Led the biggest ever live wildlife outside broadcast – SPRINGWATCH - and built it into a returning multi-platform brand. Launched AUTUMNWATCH two years later 12 x 60 BBC TWO

- Successful collaborator and client-facing with co-producers and partners including Discovery and the Big Lottery Fund to generate income and impact. Helped raise £5 million for the “blue chip” and visually ground-breaking SOUTH PACIFIC series, which in 2011 won an Emmy and Best in Festival in the US, and was a You Tube global hit. Prior to this, WILD CARIBBEAN broke new ground in creating high end blue chip at a low price point, and was widely praised 10 x 60 BBC TWO

- In a first joint venture for the Natural History Unit, led WILDEST DREAMS – factual entertainment meets full-on African wildlife, presented by Nick Knowles. 9 contestants fought for a year’s contract at the NHU across the Kalahari, the Okavango Delta and diving with 50-feet whale sharks. One of them ended up in Bristol. 7 x 70 BBC ONE

- THE ONE SHOW Editorial and managerial skills delivered high quality fast turn-round films for the primtetime blockbuster on tight and decreasing budgets. Recommissioned year on year to generate over 250 short films, from the investigative to the lyrical 250 x 4 BBC ONE

Fiona Pitcher CV - Creative and calculating risk-taking brought BIG CAT WEEK to BBC ONE in a successful new “animal soap” format which peaked at 7 million 6 x 30 BBC ONE

- Teamed up with the Open University to make FOSSIL DETECTIVES filming right round the UK with maximum style on a minimum budget . Presented by Hermione Cockburn of COAST and also featuring James Wong 6 x 30 BBC TWO

- Most recently DECADE OF DISCOVERY – a fast turn-round one-off top ten of the most exciting new species discoveries round the world of the last decade, presented by Chris Packham. Nearly 3 million audience 1 x 60 BBC TWO

Executive Producer, BBC Natural History Unit, 1999- 2011 LEADERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

- a strong and consistent track record that nurtures and retains on-screen talent. Worked closely with Bill Oddie for a decade, and most recently Nick Knowles in his first joint venture with natural history. Found most of the wildlife on-screen talent for the ONE SHOW . 7 x 60 BBC ONE

- spent five years making business programmes for BBC TWO, with some of the top global management names of the time including Charles Handy and Peter Drucker. Also made three business training videos as an indie for BBC Worldwide

- skilled at limiting the impact of budget cuts (ONE SHOW) and making best use of a wide range of budgets - from £700K/episode (SOUTH PACIFIC) to £40K/episode (WILD SCOTLAND) . Managed redundancies in the Natural History Unit in 2009, and ensured the right decisions were made in the right way for the business and for its people

______

As Commissioning Editor and acting Head, BBC LEARNING, 1993 - 1999

- Spearheaded new approaches such as working for the first time with advertising agency Bartle, Bogle and Hegarty to create an adult literacy campaign with 30-second promos, READ AND WRITE TOGETHER. Won an RTS Education award. 3 x 30” BBC ONE

- Commssioned multi-channel and cross-platform campaigns on men’s health – THE TROUBLE WITH MEN for BBC TWO, and cancer THE BIG C for BBC ONE 12 x 30 and 6 x 10 BBC ONE and TWO

- As acting Head , developed strategy for BBC Learning’s outreach and campaigns. Used this to guide the Natural History Unit to expand into multi-media, and develop new strategic alliances with public sector partners, including the Big Lottery Fund and the National Trust ______

PRE-BBC CAREER

- Trainee journalist with the Birmingham Post and Mail 1980 – 82 - Intern on Senator Maguire’s election campaign in Washington 1978 - Temporary PA to organisations ranging from Bank America to Paul Raymond Publications 1978 – 80 ______

TRAINING and EDUCATION

Ashridge Leadership course and numerous other courses in negotiating, creative thinking, storytelling and dealing with trauma 2005 - 11

Centre for Journalism Studies, Cardiff 1979 - 80 Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism – Distinction

Fiona Pitcher CV London School of Economics 1976 –79 B.Sc (Econ) in Government - First

Fiona Pitcher CV