Oliver Jones is departing Apple TV after six years to join Amazon MGM Studios as senior commissioner for U.K. scripted, according to an internal email sent by Nicole Clemens, the studio’s VP and head of international originals, to her teams.
Jones will work closely with Clemens on the commissioning of new U.K. scripted series and is set to begin in May.
Jones relocates from Los Angeles back to London for the position, where he will spearhead commissioning of new U.K. scripted series. Existing scripted commissioners Gemma Brandler and Punit Mattoo will report to him.
“Oliver is a seasoned scripted executive with a proven track record in developing premium international content,” Clemens wrote 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 served most recently as senior creative executive for international scripted television, a role in which he shaped the streamer’s international originals strategy from its early phases and guided projects across development, production, and global launch. His credits include “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” starring Kurt Russell, which delivered a record-breaking Apple TV premiere in November 2023; “Masters of the Air,” the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks World War II series starring Austin Butler, which topped the platform’s charts following its January 2024 debut; and Alfonso Cuarón’s “Disclaimer,” starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. His most recent project in production is “Berlin Noir,” written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan and starring Colin Firth, Jack Lowden and Jessica Gunning. Earlier credits include “Tehran,” winner of the 2021 International Emmy for best drama, and “Sunny” (A24).
Prior to Apple, Jones held senior positions at Fremantle, where he worked on “The Mosquito Coast,” “Fellow Travelers” and “American Gods.” He also spent time at The Weinstein Company, where he oversaw Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone,” and at Imagine Television on “Empire.”
The hire comes as Amazon MGM Studios accelerates its U.K. scripted push. In her note to staff, Clemens pointed to recent launches including “The Girlfriend,” starring Robin Wright; “Steal,” starring Sophie Turner; “Harlan Coben’s Lazarus”; and Riz Ahmed’s “Bait,” describing them as “fan favorite and genre defying series that have delighted customers not just in the U.K., but globally.” The studio has also recently greenlit “Dirty,” an original police thriller from writer Matt Charman, and an adaptation of Chloe Walsh’s BookTok novel “Boys of Tommen.”
“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,” Jones said. “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.”
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