Maria Norman is Head of Production at BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, the makers of world-leading natural history programmes, including the multi-award-winning global hits Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II and Dynasties, which is premiering on BBC America in early 2019.

Maria oversees the production of a large portfolio of programmes in The Natural History Unit including Wild Alaska  Live, Springwatch, Animals with Cameras, Nature’s Epic Journeys, Yellowstone: Wildest Winter to Blazing Summer and Attenborough at 90. As part of her role she continuously works to drive improvement and ensure that The Natural History Unit productions are amongst the best in the world, working closely with the BBC Studios’ Factual leadership team, UK and international commissioners and a variety of international co-production partners.

Maria has 20 years of experience in the TV industry. Prior to becoming Head of Production, Maria worked as a Production Manager in what was then BBC In-house Production, working in entertainment, features, documentaries and natural history and across titles such as Dragons’ Den, Comic Relief and Nigellissima. She has also worked in the UK independent production sector, including at TwoFour Productions and Keo Films.

The Natural History Unit is part of BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart and a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Formed in April 2018 by the merger of BBC Worldwide and BBC Studios, the new BBC Studios spans content financing, development, production, sales, branded services and ancillaries. Deploying a unique combination of BBC editorial values, cutting-edge craft and access to diverse talent, BBC Studios is the most awarded producer in the UK, receiving over 100 awards and 200 nominations in the past year.