Roles and responsibilities
- Piers Wenger is responsible for commissioning across the whole of the BBC portfolio and overseeing more than 450 hours of drama a year on the BBC, the biggest broadcaster of drama in the UK.
Biography
Last updated September 2021
Piers Wenger was appointed BBC Director of Drama in September 2020 and has been Controller of BBC Drama since late 2016. Prior to this he was Head of Drama at Channel 4, and Head of Drama at BBC Wales. During his time as Head of Drama at BBC Wales, Piers was an executive producer on Doctor Who alongside Steven Moffat, where he cast Matt Smith into the lead role.
Piers is responsible for overseeing more than 450 hours of drama across the year. His recent BBC drama commissions include Dolly Alderton adapting her much-loved autobiography Everything I Know About Love, Candice Carty-Williams’ first TV project Champion, Shane Meadows first ever period drama The Gallows Pole, Theresa Ikoko’s adaptation of Wahala, Cash Carraway’s adaptation of his darkly funny debut memoir and award winning comedy writer-director Stefan Golaszewski’s first television drama Marriage.
These titles follow previous commissions Including BAFTA and Emmy award winning I May Destroy You written by and starring Michaela Coel, A Suitable Boy adapted by Andrew Davies and directed by Mira Nair, factual drama The Salisbury Poisonings, award-winning Normal People, Nicole Taylor’s thriller The Nest, Talking Heads by Alan Bennett and Dracula written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.
Previous commissions also include The Long Song from writer Sarah Williams, A Very English Scandal by Russell T Davies, Black Earth Rising starring Michaela Coel and John Goodman from the Bafta-winning Hugo Blick, Mrs Wilson written by Anna Symon and developed with Ruth Wilson, The Cry written by Jacqueline Perske and starring Jenna Coleman, and The Capture written by Ben Chanan.
Further upcoming commissions include Adam Kay’s adaptation of This Is Going To Hurt starring Ben Whishaw, factual drama Four Lives from award-winning team Jeff Pope and Neil McKay, Gentleman Jack (S2) starring Suranne Jones from writer Sally Wainwright, A Very British Scandal starting Claire Foy, Chloe by Alice Seabright, Superhoe written by and starring Nicôle Lecky, original horror series Red Rose from Michael and Paul Clarkson, The Tourist starring Jamie Dornan, SAS: Rogue Heroes by Steven Knight and an adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Conversations With Friends.
Previously as a producer, Piers closely collaborated with Victoria Wood for over a decade on her dramatic projects. He produced her Bafta and RTS award-winning dramatisation of Nella Last's diary Housewife, 49; collaborated with her on Loving Miss Hatto, Wood's dramatisation of the life of classical pianist Joyce Hatto; and executive produced Eric And Ernie, Peter Bowker's biopic of the young Morecambe and Wise, in which Wood also starred.
At Channel 4, Piers helped launch of a slate of popular and award-winning drama series, including Humans, co-produced with AMC, Tony Grisoni's Bafta-winning Southcliffe, Jack Thorne's National Treasure starring Robbie Coltrane, Andrea Riseborough and Julie Walters, as well as Peter Kosminsky's The State, which told the story of four radicalised Brits who travel to Syria to live as a part of Islamic state.
Annual remuneration (as at July 2022)
- £285,000-£289,999
(as per Annual Report and Accounts disclosure)
Expenses and central bookings
Expenses are costs incurred by BBC staff on behalf of the BBC and claimed through the BBC's expenses system.
Central bookings are costs incurred on behalf of the BBC and booked through the BBC's central bookings system. Both expenses and central bookings are published every three months.
Downloads
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q1 2022-23
- Piers Wenger’s central bookings Q1 2022-23
- Piers Wenger had no expenses paid in Q4 2021-22
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q4 2021-22
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q3 2021-22
- Piers Wenger’s central bookings Q3 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no expenses paid in Q2 2021-22
- Piers Wenger central bookings Q2 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no expenses paid in Q1 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no central bookings in Q1 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no expenses paid in Q4 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no central bookings in Q4 2020-21
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q3 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no central bookings in Q3 2020-21
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q2 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no central bookings in Q2 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no expenses in Q1 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no central bookings in Q1 2020-21
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q4 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s central bookings Q4 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q3 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s central bookings Q3 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q2 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s central bookings Q2 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s expenses Q1 2019-20
- Piers Wenger’s central bookings Q1 2019-20
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q4 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q4 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q3 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q3 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q2 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q2 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q1 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q1 2018-19
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q4 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q4 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q3 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q3 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q2 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q2 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q1 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q1 2017-18
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q4 2016-17
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q4 2016-17
- Piers Wenger's expenses Q3 2016-17
- Piers Wenger's central bookings Q3 2016-17
Gifts and Hospitality Register
Gifts and hospitality may only be accepted in line with BBC policy. Information about gifts and hospitality is published every three months.
Downloads
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2022-23
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2021-22
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2020-21
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2019-20
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2019-20
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2019-20
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2019-20
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in 2018-19
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2017-18
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2017-18
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q2 2017-18
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q1 2017-18
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q4 2016-17
- Piers Wenger had no gifts or hospitality to declare in Q3 2016-17
Declaration of personal interests
Staff must make a declaration of their personal and business interests, including any memberships or directorships of public or industry bodies, and any shareholdings, as well as any interests that their immediate families may also have.
A summary is published where there is something to declare and where there is nothing to declare. Occasionally an individual will have something to declare but due to the personal nature of the declaration we do not publish details as to do so would breach the General Data Protection Regulation.
This information is published annually, although if any amendments are made during the year an updated summary will be published if necessary as soon as it is available.
