Clelia Mountford Leaving ‘Bad Sisters’ Maker Merman To Launch Sunburnt Penguin With All3Media

Clelia Mountford is exiting Bad Sisters maker Merman to launch an All3 Media-backed scripted indie.

Sunburnt Penguin will sit within All3’s scripted ranks, focusing on drama and comedy projects. It debuts with a development slate in place.

Mountford co-founded Merman with Sharon Horgan in 2014 and together they built a TV and film production business in the UK and U.S. with credits for the likes of Apple TV+’s comedy Bad Sisterswhich is set to debut a second season on November 13; BBC comedies Motherland and There She GoesChannel 4 and Prime Video’s Catastrophe; Channel 4/Hulu co-pro This Way Up; and Sky drama Dreamland. Mountford also executive produced the upcoming Channel 4 series Disability Benefits with Rosie Jones and Amandaland for BBC One, starring Lucy Punch.

Mountford said: “After a wonderful decade at Merman, I am delighted to be joining the brilliant All3Media family for my next chapter. I’m looking forward to working with this dream team as I create a slate of unique scripted series.”

An All3 rep confirmed she had recently exited Merman ahead of the launch. All3Media International will shop Sunburnt Penguin’s slate on the international market.

“Clelia is an exceptionally talented producer with fantastic creative credentials,” said Jane Turton, All3 CEO I am delighted that she is joining All3Media with Sunburnt Penguin.”

Earlier this month, Turton hinted at moves in the scripted space following All3’s £1.15B ($1.5B) takeover by RedBird IMI. She told delegates that acquisitions or indie launches would follow in the “next few months or years.”

All3’s scripted label New Pictures recently struck an exclusive deal with The Long Shadow creator and Lupin writer George Kay.

Prior to Merman, Mountford was Head of Comedy at RDF and Head of Radio/Script Associate at TalkbackThames. She began her career in theatre and radio, producing comedy and drama for BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4, and was assistant producer on theatre tours and West End shows.