Sony Pictures Television hires Big Talk MD Matthew Justice to head UK & Europe

Doctor Who

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has hired outgoing Big Talk Productions MD Matthew Justice to head up its UK and European production operations.

Justice, whose departure from ITV Studios’ Friday Night Dinner label Big Talk, was announced two days ago, is taking on the newly created role of EVP and head of UK & Europe for SPT.

Reporting into Wayne Garvie, president of international productions, Justice will directly manage SPT’s international studio operations and European co-productions business.

Matthew Justice

He also work closely with SPT international production’s wholly owned and joint venture production companies in the region, including Bad Wolf, Eleven Films, Left Bank Pictures, Eleventh Hour Films, Blueprint TV, Fable Pictures, The Whisper Group and Stellify Media, as well as France based The Satisfaction Group, which SPT launched a joint venture with in 2020.

Upcoming titles from the portfolio include Doctor Who, Ten Pound Poms and the recently announced Jeopardy! revival with Stephen Fry.

Justice will also oversee the studio’s senior international production creative team led by Brendan Fitzgerald, SVP, of international co-productions; Michaela Fereday, SVP of international scripted productions, and Lucy Robinson, SVP of original production and development.

He will join SPT later this year and in the meantime will be working with Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen to ensure on a smooth transition to a new management structure before his departure. Serving as MD at Big Talk since 2007, Justice has worked on series including Raised By Wolves, Cold Feet, Friday Night Dinner and Rev.

Prior to joining Big Talk, in 2002 he founded his own production company, Lunar Films, where he produced titles including Hallam Foe and Les Poupées Russes.

Garvie said that Justice “brings just what we need to build our UK and Europe business into an even greater force.”