Boat Rocker alum Chapman Maddox has joined BBC Studios Kids & Family as an animation development exec, reporting to Gráinne McNamara (VP of development for live action and animation).

The move represents a return to children’s content for Maddox, who has lately been focused on older-skewing projects at filmmaker Guy Ritchie’s Toff Guy Films in London (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare).

This hire follows on the heels of BBC Studios Kids & Family elevating McNamara in March as part of a bigger strategic shift to adapt to a widespread kids TV commissioning downturn. At the time, she told Kidscreen that her division would be looking to ramp up its presence in spaces like live action and animation for a six-plus audience.

Maddox has built up a good amount of experience in both animation and live action over the course of his two-decade career. He spent nearly five years at Boat Rocker as VP of content (2018 to 2022), working closely with kids & family EVP Bob Higgins to produce projects including CG toon Daniel Spellbound (Netflix) and teen thriller Get Even (BBC iPlayer).

And prior to that, he served in senior roles at Fremantle (VP of development and production for kids & family) and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim (coordinator of comedy).