Hot Shots 2023: Katharine McCallum

Katharine McCallum joined Purple Productions as a researcher a couple years ago and has already risen through the ranks to assistant producer, impressing those around her in the process. With a passion for learning new skills and regularly working beyond her role, she has made her mark on several unscripted series.

According to Purple Productions creative director Pam Cavannagh, McCallum was crucial to the success of Channel 4’s A Lake District Farm Shop and A Cotswold Farm Shop. She shot many of the key scenes and was “pivotal” in gaining access to key third parties.

On the BBC2 series Villages By The Sea, she went far above and beyond her role, helping the small team stretch a tight budget as far as possible. While working on location with a presenter, McCallum took on responsibility for producing on the ground unprompted, leaving the PD free to focus on the camera work, something Cavannagh describes as an example of the “real teamwork that benefited the series”.

For Channel 5’s Motorway Cops, McCallum started on the returning blue-light series as a senior researcher and has recently progressed to the role of compliance producer, meaning she now confidently deals with the police force and Purple’s internal lawyers.

“Katharine will one day be our boss,” says Cavannagh. “She has always stood out. She is bright, compassionate and fearless. She embraces new roles and duties and always excels. She will go on to have a long and successful career.”