BBC television head to step down

Cohen was responsible for commissioning shows including Call The Midwife, Poldark, Last Tango In Halifax, Happy Valley and auto Share. BBC Television is on brilliant creative form. “I feel very privileged to have led Television for the world’s finest public service broadcaster and to have worked with so many smart and talented people”, said Cohen.

In response to Cohen’s resignation, Hall said, “Danny has done an extraordinary job over the last eight years at the BBC…He is one of TV’s great talents”.

He departure comes at a time when the broadcaster is under heavy scrutiny with the government looking at renewing the BBC’s character and questions over the licence fee.

“I’m very proud of the wide-ranging success of BBC Television under my leadership”. I wish him all the luck in the world’.

Cohen said that in the last few weeks, he had been approached about a number of “exciting” opportunities and wanted to consider these in an open and transparent way.

Cohen was appointed the youngest ever Director of BBC Television at the age of 39 and prior to that he was appointed the youngest ever Controller of BBC One at the age of 36. In the last few years, he was at the center of some of the corporation’s most controversial decisions, including taking BBC Three, the youth-oriented TV channel, off air to save money, and the sacking of Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson after he punched a producer.

Like Stephenson, Cohen is widely respected by the creative industry and is said to have been instrumental in securing a working partnership with J.K. Rowling and her agent Neil Blair, paving the way for BBC One commissions The Casual Vacancy and The Cormoran Strike Mysteries. “He has a fantastic creative mind and much as I’m sad he’s leaving the BBC, I’m excited to see what he does next”.

Nevertheless, Cohen added in his email to staff that “with the iPlayer, with BBC Studios and BBC3 we are showing a willingness to innovate and take major risks to keep the BBC healthy for the long term”.

The BBC Director-General, Tony Hall, said that Danny had done an “extraordinary job” and praising him leading the “incredible resurgence of drama on the BBC”.

He was the name behind many successful shows like Skins, The Inbetweeners, Fonejacker, Supernanny and the documentary series Cutting Edge.

“I think that folks will strive and examine BBC domestic hard products with it but it’s really trouble-free – I’ll just use experienced a marvelous moment here for eight years and I’m just up for the following thing”, he explained.

He has yet to announce his next appointment but it is understood that he is considering offers from both United Kingdom and USA companies.