Toronto’s Temple Street Productions has added some pedigree to its nonfiction programming department, naming Allan Novak as its new VP, factual and reality.

Novak, an eight-time Gemini-nominated writer, director and editor, will immediately be responsible for bringing in new formats in factual programming, including original concepts, and partnering up with allies at BBC Worldwide to bring U.K. formats to Canadian screens. BBC earlier this year bought a 25% stake in Temple.

‘I’m thrilled to become a part of this dynamic, fast growing and internationally oriented company,’ Novak said in a statement. ‘I hope to take my years of experience in all facets of television production to build on an already impressive development and production slate and help make Temple Street the premiere production house in Canada for top notch TV entertainment.’

Novak branched out on his own as an independent, launching Indivisual Productions in 1999. He has a history with well-known Canadian programming, having previously worked on comedies The Kids in the Hall, The Newsroom and Puppets Who Kill, as well as nonfiction series Life and Times and Canada’s Worst Handyman.

Temple’s reality hits include CBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and CTVglobemedia’s Canada’s Next Top Model.