Oliver Jones is leaving Apple TV after six years to take on the role of senior commissioner for U.K. scripted at Amazon MGM Studios. This move was revealed in an internal email from Nicole Clemens, the studio’s VP and head of international originals, to her teams.
In his new position, Jones will collaborate closely with Clemens to commission new U.K. scripted series, starting in May.
Relocating from Los Angeles to London, Jones will lead the commissioning of new U.K. scripted series, with existing scripted commissioners Gemma Brandler and Punit Mattoo reporting to him.
“Oliver is a seasoned scripted executive with a proven track record in developing premium international content,” Clemens stated in the email. “This appointment underscores our continued investment in world-class U.K. scripted programming as we expand our slate for U.K. and global audiences.”
At Apple, Jones was the senior creative executive for international scripted television. In this role, he played a key part in shaping the streamer’s international originals strategy, overseeing projects from development through to global launch. His notable credits include “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” with Kurt Russell, which had a record-breaking premiere on Apple TV in November 2023; “Masters of the Air,” featuring Austin Butler, which led the platform’s charts after its January 2024 release; and Alfonso CuarĂłn’s “Disclaimer,” starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. Currently in production is “Berlin Noir,” penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan and starring Colin Firth, Jack Lowden, and Jessica Gunning. Earlier works include “Tehran,” the 2021 International Emmy Award winner for best drama, and “Sunny” (A24).
Before joining Apple, Jones held senior roles at Fremantle, contributing to projects like “The Mosquito Coast,” “Fellow Travelers,” and “American Gods.” He also worked at The Weinstein Company, overseeing Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone,” and at Imagine Television on “Empire.”
This hiring comes as Amazon MGM Studios intensifies its focus on U.K. scripted content. In her communication to staff, Clemens highlighted recent launches like “The Girlfriend,” featuring Robin Wright; “Steal,” starring Sophie Turner; “Harlan Coben’s Lazarus”; and Riz Ahmed’s “Bait,” describing them as popular and innovative series that have captivated audiences both in the U.K. and globally. The studio has also recently approved “Dirty,” an original police thriller by writer Matt Charman, and an adaptation of Chloe Walsh’s BookTok novel “Boys of Tommen.”
Reflecting on his time at Apple TV, Jones remarked, “It has been a privilege to work alongside my brilliant colleagues at Apple TV for the past six years, and to collaborate with the remarkable artists I was lucky enough to work with. It’s always a tough decision to leave a job I love, but the time is right to come back home and start a new adventure. Amazon MGM Studios’ commitment and momentum in telling ambitious, provocative, premium stories, together with the scale of their increased investment in the U.K., means it couldn’t be a more exciting moment to be joining Nicole and her phenomenal team.”
