Hot Shots 2026: Jennie Baker

Experienced production manager Jennie Baker recently stepped up to line producer for Channel 4’s upcoming large-scale survival format Apocalypse.

Maintaining lines of communication between Manchester, London and a filming location in the USA, Jennie impressed her bosses at The Garden with her meticulousness, flexibility and ability to keep calm under pressure.

Staying across every inch of the production, Jennie ensured the inaugural series was delivered on schedule and to budget.

“Jennie anticipates problems before they happen and finds practical, cost-effective solutions without sacrificing production values,” says production executive Georgie Emary.

“Her people skills are outstanding: she builds trust quickly with the team and crew and she can mediate tricky situations respectfully, always navigating the best path for the production.”

Jennie’s career over the past decade is testament to the growing power of regional production bases. Since moving from London to Manchester, she’s worked as a production secretary, production coordinator and production manager. Her credits include Oxford Scientific Films’ commissions such as Driven: the Billy Monger Story, Murder in the Pacific and The Secret Life of Pets, and another project for The Garden, Netflix’s blue-light format Critical, which she secured after work on 24 Hours in A&E.

Jennie’s also keen to fly the flag for production management, an area she feels can sometimes be undervalued. “I strongly believe the best productions happen when there’s real collaboration between production and editorial, and I always try to break down barriers between teams to create an environment where creativity can thrive,” she says. “I care deeply about supporting people, encouraging communication, and building trust across a production.”

She’s certainly left her mark on her colleagues at The Garden. “Jennie has an infectiously joyous personality, and she kept morale high on a long shoot far away from home, while also working incredibly hard,” says Emary. “It’s hard to find perfection - but Jennie is it.”