Suzanne Mackie, one of the U.K.’s foremost drama executives, has been selected as the 2021 recipient of Variety’s International Achievement in Television Award, to be presented at the MipTV virtual global content market in Cannes in April.
The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the international television marketplace.
In 2020, Mackie departed “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures after 12 years to set up her own independent production company, Orchid Pictures. She remained on “The Crown” as one of the executive producers and is actively involved in seasons five and six. She is engaged by Netflix on the show through Orchid.
Mackie was an architect of “The Crown’s” success on Netflix, playing a key part in shepherding the Golden Globe-winning show’s first four seasons and working closely with writer Peter Morgan. Last week, “The Crown’s” producing team won the prize for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television at the Producers Guild of America Awards.
Steven Gaydos, Variety’s executive vice president, global content, said: “In addition to being a global zeitgeist television event, ‘The Crown’ is an enormously complex, multi-character period production. Everything must work perfectly together to achieve magic, which is exactly what Suzanne Mackie and her incredible collaborators have achieved. Mackie has proven to be one of the most important television executives in the U.K. and we’re excited to see what her new production company, Orchid Pictures, has in store.”
Mackie joined Left Bank Pictures in 2009 and was promoted to creative director in 2012. During this time she developed and executive produced four seasons of the BAFTA nominated “Mad Dogs,” which went on to be adapted for the U.S. market. She executive produced BBC One’s BAFTA winning “The Replacement” and is an executive producer on current show “Behind Her Eyes” for Netflix.
Mackie also originated and produced feature film “Misbehaviour” for Pathe, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, starring Keira Knightley, Jessie Buckley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. The film won two prizes at the 2021 British Independent Film Awards.
Other film credits at Left Bank for Mackie include Ayub Khan Din’s “All in Good Time,” directed by Nigel Cole, and Clio Barnard’s “Dark River.”
Past recipients of the Variety International Achievement in Television Award include U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon, ViacomCBS global distribution chief Armando Nunez, Sky executive chair Jeremy Darroch and Gilles Pelisson, president of France’s TF1.