Amazon lands BBC Studios exec to lead unscripted

BBC Studios unscripted exec Jenny Groom is moving to Amazon MGM Studios.

Groom will become head of MGM Alternative and take up much of the remit that was previously held by Barry Poznick, who departed in November 2025.

She will oversee formats and key shows including The Voice, Shark Tank and Survivor, as well as working up new unscripted shows for both Prime Video and third parties.

Groom had been at BBCS for just under two years and worked on shows including Dancing With The Stars spin-off The Next Pro.

She joined the company having been exec vice president of unscripted entertainment at NBC Universal, with credits on shows including the US version of The Traitors.

Jenn Levy, who joined as Amazon MGM Studios’ head of unscripted and documentary at the start of the year, told staff the appointment would strengthen both in-house productions and shows for other parties.

“Bringing in someone with Jenny’s extensive experience, on both the buying and selling side of the business, positions MGM Alternative as a key creative asset for our unscripted ambitions,” she wrote, “and reinforces our commitment to developing and selling shows all around town.”

The appointment comes a year after Amazon MGM Studios reshuffled its unscripted operations by moving MGM Alternative TV into Amazon MGM Studios.

Former Netflix exec Peter Friedlander then joined to become head of global TV at Amazon MGM Studios, replacing Vernon Sanders, with Poznick exiting two months later to take on a three-year exec producer role at the company.

The exec had been general manager of unscripted since 2022 following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, and before that had been president of alternative for the Survivor producer for more than six years under Mark Burnett.

Friedlander has direct oversight of unscripted execs including Kitty Gambel, senior vice president of unscripted and alternative, and Lucilla D’Agostino, who runs Real Housewives firm Evolution Media and On Patrol: Live label Big Fish Entertainment.

Former Channel 4 exec Dom Bird, who launched Amazon MGM Studios international division in 2019, reports into Gambel, as does US-based production exec Justin Dudek.