Netflix Hires ‘Fleabag’ Commissioner & Outgoing BBC Studios Comedy Boss Chris Sussman

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix’s swelling ranks of commissioners in the UK is about to grow even further with the addition of an executive who played a vital role in bringing Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s smash hit comedy Fleabag to the screen.

Deadline can reveal that Chris Sussman will join the streamer next month as director of the UK scripted team, reporting to vice president of content, Anne Mensah.

It follows a spell of more than three years running the comedy unit at BBC Studios. During his time at the BBC’s commercial production arm, he oversaw shows including This Country, Famalam and Inside No 9.

Prior to that, Sussman worked as a BBC comedy commissioner for five years and responsible for ordering the first series of BBC Three’s Fleabag, the runaway global hit that was later picked up by Amazon and bagged four Emmys for its second season last month. His other credits include Rev, and Jack Whitehall’s Bad Education.

Two sources told Deadline that Sussman will take up his role after completing a BBC Studios comedy series for Apple, starring Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom actor Rafe Spall. Little is known about the project, but it is said to be a relationship story written by Andy Wolton.

Sussman is the latest addition to the Netflix content team in Britain. Deadline revealed last month that former ITV commissioner Ben Kelly would join as manager of nonfiction series. Previous hires include Mensah, who joined from Comcast’s Sky, and Channel 4 commissioner Lucy Leveugle.