Sky Atlantic appoints director, announces commissions

Sky Atlantic, the US-focused pay TV channel operated by the News Corp-backed satellite pay broadcaster, has hired Elaine Pyke as director and has commissioned a raft of new series.

Pyke was previously head of drama at Sky, where she has worked for the last seven years commissioning series including The Hogfather, Strikeback and Mad Dogs. Sky Atlantic launched in February on the service’s basic platform with a raft of HBO series including Boardwalk Empire, Treme and Game of Thrones as well as CBS Studios International’s Blue Bloods.

“Sky Atlantic has launched to great acclaim and it’s absolutely right that a channel of this stature has its own flagbearer,” said Sophie Turner Laing, managing director, entertainment, news and broadcast operations, Sky.

The channel has announced three new commissions including Mentorn Media-produced Brixham – Fish Town, an observational documentary about Britain’s oldest fishing port, Cineflix Productions’ Treasure Seekers, which follows treasure collector Paul Liengaard and interior designer Sarah Brunner, and ITV Studios-produced primetime format The Devil’s Dinner Party, a psychological gameshow. Sky will announce a new head of drama in the coming months.