Caryn Mandabach Productions Appoints Michael Besman To Head L.A. Office

Producer Michael Besman is coming aboard Caryn Mandabach Productions, the company behind Nurse Jackie, to run its West Coast shop. The film exec segues into television with the move and has a mandate to develop and produce premimum content for the U.S., UK and international markets. Mandabach, which also has offices in Britain, is currently in pre-production on the second season of Peaky Blinders. That BBC2 period gangster drama was recommissioned in October and will return in 2014. Created by Steven Knight and starring Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill and Helen McCrory, it has been optioned by The Weinstein Company. Mandabach is also in active development with comedy and drama series for the BBC and Channel 4 in the UK; and HBO and USA Network in the States. Among Besman’s credits are About Schmidt, Seven Years In Tibet, The Opposite Of Sex and Bounce.