16 Facts About Julie Gardner

Julie Ann Gardner was born on 4 June 1969 and is a Welsh television producer.

Julie Gardner worked on Doctor Who from 2003 to 2009 before moving to Los Angeles to work at BBC Worldwide.

In 2015, Gardner co-founded the production company Bad Wolf, best known for the BBC TV series His Dark Materials, on which Gardner serves as an executive producer.

Julie Gardner was born in Neath and grew up in the Pont Walby area of Glynneath, where her parents ran a local shop.

Julie Gardner attended Llangatwg Comprehensive and Neath Port Talbot College, where she was an outstanding student of A-Level English, History and Drama.

Julie Gardner read English at Queen Mary University of London and initially worked as a teacher at Rhondda College, now part of Coleg Morgannwg, teaching English at GCSE and A Level, before in the mid-1990s she decided to switch to working in the television industry.

In 2000, Julie Gardner began working as a Development Producer at London Weekend Television.

Julie Gardner produced dramas including Me and Mrs Jones and an updated version of Othello written by Andrew Davies and starring Eamonn Walker and Christopher Eccleston.

In 2003, Julie Gardner returned to the BBC as Head of Drama for BBC Wales, bringing Davies' Casanova project with her.

Julie Gardner immediately contacted Davies and began working with him on bringing the programme back to British screens.

Julie Gardner was the BBC's representative in the production of the political romantic comedy The Girl in the Cafe, written by Richard Curtis in conjunction with the Make Poverty History campaign.

Julie Gardner and Davies oversaw three Doctor Who spin-offs: Torchwood, an adult science fiction drama aired on BBC Three and BBC Two, The Sarah Jane Adventures, a children's fantasy thriller aired on BBC One and CBBC, and Tales of the TARDIS, a companion series available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

In September 2006, it was announced that Julie Gardner would succeed Jane Tranter as the overall Controller of Drama Commissioning at BBC Television, following Tranter's promotion to the new "Head of Fiction" role.

However, Julie Gardner remained in her position at BBC Wales, performing the two jobs simultaneously, until 2009; her roles at BBC Wales and with Doctor Who were then assumed by producer Piers Wenger.

In March 2009, it was announced that Julie Gardner was to join the staff of Los Angeles-based BBC Worldwide America, as executive producer in charge of scripted projects.

In 2015, Julie Gardner cofounded the production company Bad Wolf with Jane Tranter.