Film4’s Ollie Madden frontrunner to take Channel 4’s joint film and TV drama commissioning role

Ollie Madden, director of Film4, is poised to expand his role to encompass TV drama commissioning as part of the ongoing restructuring at Film4’s UK broadcaster parent Channel 4.

Caroline Hollick, head of TV drama at Channel 4, is expected to leave the broadcaster according to Screen’s sister site Broadcast, and Madden is widely tipped to take on the top scripted role at the organisation, leading the division that orders TV series and backs films.

Channel 4 has previously confirmed the film and TV drama departments would continue to operate as independent teams with separate budgets but under the same leadership. With the broadcaster tasked with shedding 240 roles as part of its strategy to become a “digital-first” broadcaster, further commissioning job losses could also be on the cards.

According to a letter to staff from Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz on January 29, the consultation process would take at least 45 days from that date. 

Contacted today, a Channel 4 spokesperson added: “Channel 4 has begun a collective consultation process. Our focus is supporting employees through this time of change and keeping communication channels open with our suppliers and partners. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

Madden was promoted to his present role in May 2022, reporting to then Film4 chairman Daniel Battsek. When Battsek announced his intention to leave Channel 4 in March 2024, apparently unrelated to the present upheaval, Madden was promoted to the executive board and now reports directly to Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon.

Madden was appointed head of creative at Film4 in 2016 under Battsek. He had previously worked extensively throughout the UK film and TV sector, including at Miramax and Warner Bros, and as head of film at Shine Pictures, of which Mahon was the CEO. 

Film4 invests £25m annually in the production and development of UK films, including awards season favourites Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone Of Interest and Andrew Haigh’s All Of Us Strangers, as well as indie favourite How To Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker.