Martha Holmes, an Emmy-winning natural history veteran, has made the decision to step down from her role as chief creative officer of natural history and adventure at Plimsoll Productions, an ITV-owned company that she helped establish over a decade ago. Despite stepping back from her day-to-day responsibilities at the British company, Holmes will transition into a non-executive board position and will continue to serve as an executive producer on key projects.
Holmes kickstarted her career at the BBC Natural History Unit, where she played a pivotal role in producing acclaimed series such as “Blue Planet” and “Life,” both narrated by Sir David Attenborough and recognized with numerous Emmy and BAFTA awards.
In 2013, Holmes joined Plimsoll to assist in its launch and is credited with pioneering a new genre of natural-history storytelling, shaping a slate of shows that have helped define the company’s global identity. Her recent project, “A Real Bugâs Life” (Disney+/National Geographic), dominated the 2024 Emmys with four wins and has become Disney+’s most-watched unscripted series. Her impressive portfolio also includes the Emmy award-winning “Super/Natural” (Disney+/National Geographic), the BAFTA-nominated “Tiny World” (Apple TV+), “Yellowstone Live” (National Geographic), “Animal” (Netflix), “Night on Earth” (Netflix), “Queer Planet” (Peacock), and “Hostile Planet” (National Geographic).
Reflecting on her time at Plimsoll, Holmes expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to tell impactful stories with integrity, vision, and creative freedom, emphasizing how rare such an experience is in the industry. Grant Mansfield, the founder and CEO of Plimsoll, praised Holmes for her unparalleled creative and cultural contributions to the company, highlighting her exceptional leadership skills and role in shaping Plimsoll’s success and culture. He announced that Holmes will continue to be actively involved as an executive producer on upcoming projects and will take on a new role as a special advisor to the Board.
Plimsoll has recently debuted the innovative wildlife and factual entertainment format “Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters” on ITV and is currently in production on several series, including “Nightmares of Nature” with Blumhouse Television, “Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston” (Disney+/National Geographic), and “Are You My First?” (Hulu), among others. Holmes’s legacy at Plimsoll will undoubtedly continue to inspire and shape the future of natural history storytelling for years to come.
