ITV Studios hires new head of arts

ITV Studios has hired former the South Bank Show executive producer Jonathan Levi as its new head of arts and popular culture.

Reporting to ITV Studios' creative director of factual and features Alexander Gardiner, Levi will give creative direction to all ITV's arts programming production.

Levi is currently working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a new arts programme about the Pre-Raphaelites for ITV1. Previously, he created and produced ITV2's The Parent Trip staring George and Larry Lamb.

"Jonathan has a great deal of experience in producing strong arts and popular culture series that have wide appeal," said Gardiner.

"He has a deft touch with the ability to create programming that is both intellectually stimulating and populist.

"He already has a number of extremely exciting new shows, both in production and in development, that we look forward to seeing transmitted in the coming months."

ITV Studios creative director John Whiston added: "Arts and popular culture programming continue to have an important place in ITV channels' schedules and ITV Studios' slate so we are delighted to appoint Jonathan to this pivotal role."

Levi started his broadcasting career at BBC Radio 4 as a producer for Jeremy Paxman and Melvyn Bragg, before joining LWT in 2001 to produce a series of discussion programmes for Channel 4 called The Big Idea.

After joining Bragg on the South Bank Show team in 2003, Levi went on to direct some of the programme's most popular documentary features, including pieces on Disney Pixar, Nick Park & Aardmann Animations and Ronnie Corbett.