Former Euston Films managing director takes up creative role at The Listeners and Normal People indie

Fremantle label Element Pictures has snapped up former managing director of Euston Films, Kate Harwood, Broadcast can reveal.

Harwood was laid off from her previous role at the fellow Fremantle label in September after the parent company let all eight of its staff go alongside those at fledgling documentary label Undeniable.

kate harwood

Kate Harwood

She has already taken up her London-based executive producer role at Element, the indie behind BBC1 dramas The Listeners (pictured top) and Normal People, having been appointed by its founders and co-chief execs Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe.

She will collaborate with Guiney, Lowe, and head of television Christopher Aird to lead on the development of her own slate of original projects. Harwood will also help strengthen the indie’s existing talent relationships and build new creative partnerships with writers, directors, and producers.

Harwood spent a decade leading Euston, exec producing dramas including last year’s Nightsleeper (BBC1), The Sister (ITV), Baghdad Central (Channel 4), Hard Sun (BBC1, Hulu) and Dublin Murders (BBC1, Starz, RTÉ) during that period.

Previously, she spent 24 years at the BBC, rising to head of drama production, England. There, she worked on Cranford, Luther, Five Daughters, Upstairs Downstairs, and The Musketeers. She also exec produced EastEnders and held senior roles as script editor, producer and exec producer within BBC Drama serials.

Harwood said: “I feel so lucky to have been invited to join Element Pictures, I have many happy memories of working alongside Ed, Andrew and Chris at different points in my career and am looking forward to us growing new projects together.”

Guiney and Lowe added: “We are truly delighted that Kate has joined the team. We are huge admirers of her incredible creative instincts and her amazing track record.

“We have loved working with her over the years and we are so looking forward to getting stuck into some amazing new projects together.”

Element Pictures is in production on BBC drama The Cage, created by The Responder’s Tony Schumacher, and starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, as well as the third series of The Dry for RTÉ and ITV and The Rachel Incident for Channel 4. It is also behind films including Oscar winner Poor Things.

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