Jenny van der Lande to lead Landed Productions while Deborah Sathe will run CliffEdge Entertainment

BBC Studios has launched two new major scripted production labels today. 

Bristol-based label Landed Productions will be led by former Big Talk creative director of drama Jenny van der Lande while current BBC Studios drama productions senior creative director Deborah Sathe will take the helm of CliffEdge Entertainment.  

Landed Productions will form part of BBC Studios’ scripted label portfolio and will focus on creating evergreen drama. It touts a ‘boutique, writer-first approach’ where van der Lande will look to work closely with talent to hone their ideas.   

Meanwhile, CliffEdge Entertainment will focus on producing mainstream returning titles for broadcasters and streamers – particularly in the crime, mystery, thriller and precinct-based genres.  

The company’s ambition is to bring together some of the UK’s most-loved series – with established shows such as Silent Witness, Father Brown and Shakespeare and Hathaway moving under the CliffEdge banner – while creating the next generation of enduring scripted brands. 

Prior to Big Talk, Landed Prodcutions’ van der Lande previously led the editorial vision at Brontë and Snowed‑In and has developed and exec produced hits such as Strike, Mrs Wilson, The Midwich Cuckoos and You Don’t Know Me.  

Born and raised in Bristol, van der Lande said: “I’ve been developing TV drama for a long time but there’s still nothing that makes me happier than the moment a brilliant writer shares a new idea.  

“I can’t quite believe my luck that I’ve been offered the chance to return to the BBC – where I trained – to develop the next generation of dramas from writers I adore. It feels like a homecoming, and I can’t wait to build a creative space for world‑class British talent to develop their most honest work away from the noise,” she continued.  

BBC Studios scripted managing director Jamie Hall welcomed van der Lande to the group and said: “Her creative sensibility, editorial judgement, and ability to deliver outstanding drama with great writers make her a fantastic addition to the studio.”   

Van der Lande will join BBC Studios in January 2027.  

Sathe is set to occupy the role of chief creative officer at CliffEdge.  

The indie has already secured a Welsh romantic thriller The Night They Vanished which is made in association with Channel 4. The drama stars Gabrielle Creevy, Callum Scott-Howells, Tamzin Outhwaite and Steffan Rhodri.  

Also being produced by CliffEdge Entertainment is The Detection Club which has already been announced and is currently filming in the Midlands for the BBC and BritBox.  

Sathe said that CliffEdge Entertainment was “the perfect playground for me and the team to make the kind of television we love to watch – ambitious, entertaining, character driven drama that can connect with audiences around the world”. 

Hall called Sathe “a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader with fantastic taste”, adding: “It is testament to her and her team that they are already off the mark with several new shows and many more to come, I can’t wait to take to see what she achieves for BBC Studios.” 

BBC Studios Scripted currently houses labels including Lookout Point, Baby Cow, Firebird Pictures, House Productions, Sid Gentle Films Ltd and Clerkenwell Films.