Elaine Pyke is the Commissioning Editor for Sky1HD, Sky 1, 2 & 3 Drama.
Elaine joined Sky in 2004 and has since commissioned a variety of stand-out programmes including the two-time BAFTA award-winning drama Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather and Terry Pratchett's The Colour Of Magic.
Following up on this success and Sky1's commitment to British drama, Elaine has commissioned a number of high profile book adaptations in 2009 including the critically acclaimed Martina Cole's 'The Take and David Almond's Skellig. Chris Ryan’s Strikeback and the next Pratchett adaptation, Going Postal, are coming soon to 2010.
Elaine was an actress for 10 years before joining the BBC. Later she worked at Carlton and Talkback Thames. Elaine spent a year in Africa where she set up a returning drama series for Kenya Television Network which has been a huge success shown all over East Africa and is now in its seventh season.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Guidelines for Drama Commissions
When submitting programme ideas, please keep the following in mind:
Our key aim for 2009/2010 is to continue making Sky1HD, Sky 1, 2 & 3 synonymous with high quality adaptations and reinventions that are popular, surprising and must see television. We want to make Sky a known destination for great British commissioned drama.Editorially we aim to surprise the viewer, always pushing the boundaries whilst keeping our shows accessible and highly entertaining. We demand the very best talent on and off screen. Our commissions have to sit alongside the best of the US, so must strive for the same quality, modernity and freshness. We are generally not looking for period drama or children's programmes and Sci-Fi is a tough sell for us.
We are looking for book based crime for both returning minis and series. These must feel contemporary, fresh and hooky with strong leading characters that bring us back week after week. The series should aim to be episodic with a great story of the week and we like a serial element to keep people hooked.
Family event pieces are also key following the success of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather and Colour Of Magic. They must be very noisy marketable known properties that attract 'A' list casting and high production values. We are keen to look at co-pro opportunities and be assured nothing is too ambitious if it fits.Beyond the above we are open to discussing any reinventions, books or brand based ideas that punch well above their weight and bring an inbuilt audience and expectation. We are more than happy to consider attached talent.We will always aim to get back to you promptly and if possible one of us will meet to discuss our needs. If a project sounds exciting we will pay for development and we are happy to help in the search for financial partners.
