Executives

Bill Locke Head of History and Special Projects

Bill Locke specialises in history projects and also the developing world and observational series. Recent productions include Ape to Man, a special film for the History Channel telling the story of the discovery of human evolution (recent winner of an Emmy for best documentary script and the US Academy of Science's best television programme award), African School, a series following life in the Ugandan town of Masindi for the BBC’s Africa Lives season (the series recently won 2 One World Awards), The Queen’s Cavalry, a behind-the-scenes series about the Household Cavalry for BBC1, The First Emperor, for Discovery and Channel 4 about Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor and Prince Eddy, The King We Never Had, a high rating programme revealing the truth about Queen Victoria’s oldest grandson. For Five he recently made The Secret Life of Queen Elizabeth. Bill also directed Helen of Troy, presented by Bettany Hughes, for Channel 4/PBS.

In recent years, Bill has worked on The Four Minute Mile for the BBC, Weapons That Made Britain for Channel 4 and Love, Drugs and Stereotypes for The International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Bill has also overseen two series of Britain’s Finest, a highly successful heritage series for Five. Bill was the series producer of Royal Deaths and Diseases for Channel 4, The Tower, the very successful eight part series about the history of the Tower of London also for Channel 4 and Hitler's Britain for Five which won a Cine Golden Eagle. In an earlier spell with Lion, Bill series produced LAX, a three part series behind the scenes at Los Angeles International Airport for A&E / Five, and directed Naked Eurovision, a light-hearted portrait of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Prior to joining Lion, Bill spent a season as series producer of Meet The Ancestors, BBC2's high rating archaeology series.

From 1995-97 Bill lived in Ethiopia, making films for the BBC World Service and a variety of Non-Governmental Organisations, including the United Nations.

Before living in Africa, Bill worked in BBC children's television, working for four years as a studio and location director on Blue Peter.