As Fremantle gears up for a busy year ahead, it has made three new appointments to its development teams across Sydney and Melbourne: Warren Clarke, Monique Keller and Nikki Tran.
Clarke will be the head of development, scripted, reporting directly to Fremantle Asia Pacific CEO Chris Oliver-Taylor.
Co-creator of ABC’s The Heights, Clarke joins Fremantle from Matchbox, where he also helped to develop projects such as Secret City, Wanted and Hyde and Seek. He was also script producer for Oddlands, and wrote for Mustangs FC.
Clarke said: “Fremantle has long been a creative powerhouse both domestically and internationally and I’m delighted to be joining their highly talented scripted team. I’m looking forward to collaborating with the industry’s leading writers and emerging creative talent and utilising Fremantle’s vast international network to take brilliantly crafted Australian stories to the global television landscape.”
Reporting to Clarke will be Tran, who joins Fremantle in the newly-created roles of development assistant – scripted, after having worked with the company as part the Victorian Screen Development Internship last year.
Based in Melbourne, Tran’s credits include ABC’s Can You Hear Me?, comedy Girl, Interpreted and comedy-drama webseries Fresh!.
Tran said: “I’m excited to be supporting new voices and stories as part of an impressive creative team with a wealth of experience.”
Keller, who joins Fremantle from Audible, will be a development executive – unscripted.
At Audible, Keller commissioned factual, entertainment and scripted content, including Nut Jobs by Marc Fennell, Australia’s Funniest Stand-up and Winding Road.
Prior to she worked in the US with Amazon Studios and Double Feature Films on titles including The Dressmaker, Manchester by the Sea, Late Night, Cold War, Gleason and City of Ghosts. Monique will report to Jonathon Summerhayes, director of unscripted.
Keller said: “I’m thrilled to have joined the Fremantle family. Having worked with the team in my previous role at Audible, I’m excited to be able to work alongside some of the best creative and production brains in the business. It’s an exciting time for content in Australia and New Zealand and my focus will be on developing a slate of bold and ambitious documentary, factual and entertainment stories for the streaming market.”
On the Fremantle slate in 2021 are Heartbreak High (Netflix), Taylor’s Island and Lie With Me (ViacomCBS), PM’s Daughter (ABC TV), Neighbours (Channel 5 and Network 10), Wentworth (Foxtel), Australian Idol, Farmers Wants A Wife and Australia’s Got Talent (Seven Network), Grand Designs (Foxtel) and Restoration Australia (ABC TV), with more expected to be announced soon.