New Gig, New Continent
Oliver Jones is ditching Apple TV after a six-year stint to hop on board with Amazon MGM Studios. He’ll be the senior commissioner for U.K. scripted shows, starting in May. His new boss, Nicole Clemens, spilled the beans in an internal email. Jones will be moving from sunny Los Angeles back to the rainy streets of London.
Jones will be the go-to guy for commissioning new U.K. scripted series. He’ll have Gemma Brandler and Punit Mattoo reporting to him, which means more coffee breaks and less actual work. Clemens called him a ‘seasoned scripted executive,’ which is corporate speak for ‘he knows his stuff.’
Apple TV’s Loss, Amazon’s Gain
At Apple, Jones was the senior creative executive for international scripted TV. He helped shape the streamer’s strategy from the ground up, probably while sipping overpriced lattes. His credits include hits like ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ and ‘Masters of the Air,’ which broke records and topped charts.
Jones also had his hands in ‘Disclaimer’ and ‘Berlin Noir,’ showing he doesn’t shy away from big names like Alfonso Cuarón and Colin Firth. Before Apple, he was at Fremantle, The Weinstein Company, and Imagine Television, working on shows that people actually watched.
Amazon MGM’s Scripted Push
Amazon MGM Studios is on a U.K. scripted series binge, and Jones is their latest hire to fuel this addiction. Clemens highlighted recent hits like ‘The Girlfriend’ and ‘Steal’ in her staff memo, which have apparently ‘delighted customers globally.’
The studio’s also greenlit a police thriller and a BookTok novel adaptation. Jones seems thrilled, saying it was ‘a privilege’ to work at Apple, but he’s ready for this new ‘adventure.’ Translation: he’s excited about Amazon’s deeper pockets and bigger ambitions.
Quick Facts
- •💡 Oliver Jones leaves Apple TV for Amazon MGM Studios.
- •💡 Jones will be senior commissioner for U.K. scripted series starting in May.
- •💡 He was a senior creative executive at Apple, shaping its international strategy.
- •💡 Jones’ credits include ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ and ‘Masters of the Air.’
- •💡 Amazon MGM Studios is ramping up its U.K. scripted content push.