The Stage

Avalon poaches Fox Television vice president to head LA arm

Published Tuesday 19 July 2005 at 15:30 by Liz Thomas

Avalon Television has poached the vice president of Fox Television to head its Los Angeles division, as part of plans to develop its British comedy in the US.

David Martin will draw on the company’s UK comedy formats and talent base and revise them for the US market, as well as developing original scripted shows and drama.

The expansion will benefit a host of stars including Harry Hill, Frank Skinner and Al Murray, whose programmes the company already produces. Avalon has already made steps towards international expansion. Earlier this year it won its first US commission co-producing Kelsey Grammer Presents The Sketch Show with Steve Coogan’s Baby Cow Productions for Fox Television, which was based on its Bafta-winning ITV series. It is also hoping to make a US version of Harry Hill’s TV Burp.

Martin is a former comedy agent whose clients included Sabrina: The Teenage Witch star Caroline Rhea and chat show host Colin Quinn. He then went on to become head of television for Fox’s Australian division. He was appointed vice president of Fox Television in 2002 and oversaw hits such as Animal Planet and Golden Globe-winning drama The Shield.

In his latest role as president he is to work alongside Julie James, who runs Avalon Management in America and will report to chief executive Jon Thoday. He said: “Avalon is one of the most innovative and dynamic entertainment companies in the world and I am very excited about this opportunity to be working with such a broadly talented group of executives on both sides of the Atlantic. I am looking forward to returning to the world of comedy.”

The move means there will be a permanent Avalon Television base in Los Angeles, which the company hopes will put it in a prime position to capitalise on the popularity of UK programme formats across the world. Celador’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, 19 Entertainment’s Pop Idol and the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing have highlighted the lucrative commercial potential of shows with a global appeal.

Earlier this year it announced that it was launching an new production company - Tinderbox Television - with Channel 4 International that specialises in developing original TV formats for the UK and international markets using British creative talent.