Burgeoning UK based indie prodco Vibrant Television has appointed former BBC Studios executive Bernard Markey to the newly-created position of Head of Development, effective immediately, as the company bolsters its entertainment and factual output.
Vibrant Television launched in 2023 and focuses on producing premium entertainment and factual entertainment programming, as well as scripted comedy. It is spearheaded by co-founders and award-winning TV producers Mobashir (‘Mob’) Dar and Ish Kalia. Mob was previously Editor of New Comedy at the BBC , while Ish was Executive Producer at CPL Productions. Vibrant currently has several projects in active development with leading UK broadcasters.
As part of his remit, Bernard is tasked with developing the next generation of entertainment shows with a particular emphasis on returning entertainment formats. During his tenure at the BBC, Bernard oversaw the creation and development of a number of commissions that include "Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend" for BBC One, "Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in.. Sicily", "Russell Kane’s Evil Genius" for Sky History and "Pete Wicks’ Give a Dog a Home" for UKTV, to name a few.
With a solid track record as a highly sought-after Development Executive Producer, Bernard’s distinguished TV career spans 18 years, developing and gaining commissions across a range of entertainment from factual entertainment formats to celebrity travelogues, reality competitions, and studio entertainment shows, notably overseeing the reformatting of all the heritage brands that appeared in Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow.
Mobashir Dar, CEO, and Ish Kalia, Creative Director, Vibrant Television, praised the exec: “Having admired Bernard’s work from afar, we are delighted to have him on board as our new key hire. Sharing the same work ethic and creative vision, we very much look forward to announcing some ambitious productions over the coming months," stated.
Finally, Bernard Markey expressed excitement about the new professional challenge: “A wicked sense of humour runs through their output, so I’m absolutely chuffed to work alongside Mob and Ish at Vibrant. A truly diverse company passionate about bringing on the next generation of different voices in front of and behind the camera, I had no hesitation in joining them on this venture," commented.