Drama commissioners Gabriel Silver and Liz Lewin and production head Amanda Wilkie-Sweeney are leaving Sky Studios, Screen’s sister site Broadcast has learned.
It is believed all three have irons in the fire in terms of new roles, though the details are not known.
The trio follow Preethi Mavahalli out of the pay-TV provider’s drama department, who joined Ben Stephenson’s Poison Pen earlier this week.
Lewin and Wilkie-Sweeney resigned over the summer, while Silver’s departure was communicated to staff earlier this week.
Sky Studio’s scripted division has been under new leadership since June, when Meghan Lyvers joined as director of original drama from CBS Studios.
The departures in detail
Silver was appointed director of drama commissioning in April 2021, in the wake of the departure of Cameron Roach. He initially reported to chief creative officer Jane Millichip, before she departed, with Lyvers subsequently becoming his line manager.
After stints at indies including Left Bank and Kudos, Silver joined Sky in 2017 and has delivered a string of high-profile credits including The Baby, Chernobyl, Gangs of London, I Hate Suzie, Britannia and Cobra. His biggest current project is Fremantle’s pandemic drama This England, which launches next week.
In a note to staff seen by Broadcast, Sky Studios chief exec Cecile Frot-Coutaz thanked Silver for his “significant contribution” to Sky. “We wish him all the best with the next steps in his career,” she added.
Silver told his team: “I’m so proud of my five years at Sky and so grateful to have worked with brilliant indie partners on a huge range of shows, but I’m now excited to pursue other creative opportunities on the horizon.”
He is understood to be considering a number of opportunities for his next move.
Lewin also leaves at the end of 2022, after five years with the business.
A former Channel 4 comedy commissioner, Lewin looked after shows including Ackley Bridge and The End of the F***ing World before joining Sky as a commissioning editor where her credits included returner I Hate Suzie, euthanasia drama The End and the forthcoming The Lovers.
Sky will begin hunting for replacements for Silver, Lewin and Mavahalli shortly.
Their replacements will join a drama team which comprises Manpreet Dosanjh, Paul Gilbert and Sam Hoyle, as well as head of development Tilly Coulson.
Sky Studios is also losing head of drama production Amanda Wilkie-Sweeney after seven years. Former head of production for Shine TV, Wilkie-Sweeney’s key credits during her tenure include Chernobyl, Patrick Melrose and Gangs of London. She reported to chief operating officer Caroline Cooper.
There is a significant amount of movement among the major broadcasters’ drama teams at present. Lindsay Salt is leaving Netflix to join the BBC very shortly, while the corporation has itself lost three well-regarded scripted execs: Ben Irving, Manda Levin and Tom Lazenby.
This story was first published in Screen’s sister publication Broadcast.
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