‘I Hate Suzie,’ ‘Britannia’ Producer Cameron Roach Launches Rope Ladder Fiction

Sky’s outgoing director of drama Cameron Roach has launched Rope Ladder Fiction, a Manchester-based independent production company.

The company’s focus will be on providing training and development opportunities to new talent and to create scripted content. It is already working with some of the industry’s most prolific broadcasters and commissioners on a range of projects, with the aim of production commencing in 2022.

Rope Ladder Fiction will also build upon Roach’s first solo project, curating Flip the Script, a training program to provide 12 paid placements for aspiring script editors in the U.K.’s Northwest run by social enterprise Sharp Futures.

Roach began his career in script and series editing on long-running drama series such as “Casualty,” before landing his first producing job on season 6 of the hit prison drama “Bad Girls” for Shed Productions. He went on to produce two seasons of “Footballers’ Wives.”

He joined Sky Drama as commissioning editor in 2013, and worked across a range of titles including Sky originals “Britannia,” “Bulletproof” and “Riviera,” on which he has executive producer credits. During his time as director of Sky Drama, Roach’s team delivered hit series including “Chernobyl,” “Gangs of London,” “Third Day” and “I Hate Suzie.”

His decision to step down from Sky was revealed in 2020.

Roach has also worked on “Life on Mars,” “Silk” and “Waterloo Road.” Rope Ladder Fiction will draw on the creative relationships forged by Roach and look to build meaningful partnerships for the long term.

“Rope Ladder Fiction is being established to encourage a focus on new talent in all craft areas whilst also working with industry partners to innovate and create entertaining, provocative, quality drama,” Roach said. “We hope to evolve a true pipeline of talent for the long term, encouraging collegiate working practices and a dynamic and trusted environment. We are genuine in our desire to guide a new generation up the Rope Ladder.”