BBC creative boss Charlotte Moore has quit for a lucrative job making shows for streaming giants she once railed against for putting profits over programmes.
The corporation’s outgoing chief content officer, 56, is expected to more than double her £475,000 salary by joining Sony Pictures and Left Bank Pictures.
The studios have produced a series of global hits, and jointly made The Crown — expected to get a multi-million-pound Netflix spin-off that Ms Moore is likely to oversee in her new positions.
But during her time at the Beeb, the creative chief issued a warning against the big streamers.
She said: “The television landscape is increasingly being defined by what will deliver the biggest profits for companies, not the best programmes for audiences.
“As the incentives of the biggest players become ever more commercial and cautious, ours need to become ever more creative and bold. We need to risk more to tell the stories that matter most.”
Now, Ms Moore is set to become executive vice president (creative director) at Sony Pictures, and CEO at Left Bank Pictures.
As well as making royal drama The Crown, the studios have helped make other hit streaming shows, such as critically acclaimed period drama Outlander, and Karate Kid spin-off series Cobra Kai.
As BBC commissioning chief, one of Ms Moore’s biggest successes was approving the Great British Bake Off, which first aired in 2010.
She was named chief content officer in September 2020, serving in the role for more than four years before departing the corporation.
Ms Moore announced: “It’s been a tough decision to leave a job I love and an institution I believe in. But I’ve decided the time is right for a new challenge and a new adventure, and to follow my heart to return to making shows.”
BBC director-general Tim Davie said: “Charlotte is a creative powerhouse and a real visionary who has made a huge impact during her time at the BBC.”
The Beeb will start an immediate search for Ms Moore’s replacement.
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