Hot Shots 2023: Jess O’Riordan

Within a year of joining BritBox International to provide editorial support for then chief creative officer Diederick Santer, Jess O’Riordan established herself as the on-demand platform’s main point of contact for indies and distributors.

O’Riordan became BritBox’s lead commissioning voice on several big-budget co-pros, giving edit notes and tracking budgets and deals. She has shaped the company’s global content strategy, building up a map of all upcoming UK scripted titles via her solid relationships with talent, broadcasters, distributors and producers, while also representing the BBC/ITV-run platform on the disability-focused Television Access Project.

O’Riordan has proved to be a fearless troubleshooter, unfazed by last-minute upending of plans.

While grabbing opportunities that come her way, O’Riordan is no pushover, says Santer. “We regularly disagreed over a script, a cut, a pitch. She sought to understand where I was coming from while giving a view from within her perspective, taste and experience. And her views were always well argued, thoughtful and fresh.”

Just as crucial to O’Riordan’s success at BritBox is her love of the kind of big mainstream TV dramas that are the platform’s bread and butter, yet not considered as cool as edgier fare.

“It’s near impossible to fi nd emerging scripted editorial talent who know these kinds of shows – let alone watch and enjoy them – and understand what makes them work,” says Santer.