Expectation scours World for drama chief

Start-up prodco Expectation Entertainment continues to build up its ranks, this time hiring a World Productions exec to become its creative director for drama.

Kirstie Macdonald has joined the London-based producer, which former ITV chief Peter Fincham and ex-Endemol Shine Group president Tim Hincks launched last year.

Macdonald is the latest to join the well financed company after the hires of a number of other creative directors. Ex-Endemol Shine execs Nick Mather and Nick Samell-Smith were brought in to oversee entertainment, with Channel 4’s Nerys Evans handed comedy, Colin Barr taking on factual and factual drama, and Amy Flanagan appointed to run factual.

Macdonald joins Expectation in September. She began her career as a scriptwriter in 1999 and has worked on series such as The Bill, New Tricks and The Innocence Project.

More recently, she has been with Line of Duty producer World. There she script-edited the first season of Line of Duty, and has worked on shows such as Outlaws, The Fear and upcoming Sky Atlantic drama Save Me, which Lennie James wrote.

Macdonald was also an executive producer on Dark Angel and In Plain Sight.

“Kirstie is a first class producer,” said Hincks. “She has fantastic relationships with writers – both new and established – but above all she is a true creative who loves television and storytelling.

“She will be a huge success at Expectation and we can’t wait to start working with her.”

Macdonald said: “The prospect of working with such an experienced and dynamic team is incredibly exciting. I’ve learnt so much from my time at World, I can’t wait to build on that experience with this thrilling new challenge.”