Thomas Viner exits Pioneer

Pioneer Productions creative director Thomas Viner has exited the company after eight years, Broadcast has learned.

Viner’s departure follows that of former Pioneer chief executive Jonathan Hewes, who left at the beginning of the year.

Broadcast understands the Tinopolis label is continuing with head of factual Peter Collins, who joined the business in 2018.

A Tinopolis spokesperson said: “Following the departures of Jonathan and Thomas earlier this year, Pioneer remains fully operational and is reviewing it’s offering based on the current needs of the market.”

Viner’s most recent credits include executive producing Pioneer’s Disney+/Hulu true-crime series Mother Undercover, which launched in 2023.

Posting on LinkedIn today, Viner confirmed he is looking for new opportunities as a senior executive.

Viner joined as creative director in 2016 from Arrow Media where he was an exec producer.

During his tenure at Pioneer his credits include Animals After Dark for Channel 5, In the Womb: Animal Babies for Nat Geo and Superstructures: Engineering Marvels, also for Nat Geo.

Besides Discovery Channel and Channel 4’s Raging Planet, the factual label’s titles include true-crime series Mother Undercover for Disney+ and Hulu, Secrets of the Royal Gardens for More4 and recent Netflix-acquired feature-length single Gold: A Journey With Idris Elba.

Pioneer was founded in 1988 by late astronomer and broadcaster Heather Couper, fellow astronomer and science communicator Nigel Henbest and TV executive and director Stuart Carter.

Tinopolis acquired the company in 2009 with then managing director Carter continuing in his role. Kirstie McLure took over the day-to-day reins as managing director with Jonathan Hewes becoming chief executive in 2015 as Carter stepped back as chairman.