Montreal-headquartered producer and distributor Cineflix Media has bolstered its development team with the addition of former Whizz Kid Entertainment exec Jimmy Baker.

As senior VP of development for Cineflix Productions, Baker will be responsible for developing unscripted series and returnable formats for North America and the UK. He reports into Dave Hamilton, executive VP of development at Cineflix Productions.

Based in London, he will work with Cineflix’s creative teams in North America and will also work closely alongside the development team at Twenty Six 03 Entertainment, Cineflix Media’s recently launched joint venture with Duncan Gray.

Most recently, Baker served as a television format development consultant for London, U.K.-based prodco Whole of the Moon Entertainment. Prior to that, he held a variety of development roles across the production and broadcasting sectors, including head of development at Whizz Kid Entertainment, development exec for science at the BBC, and a development producer at Lucky Day Productions.

Baker’s development credits include co-creating Hat Trick Productions’ hit format Dinner Date (pictured) for ITV, with localized versions produced in Australia, France, South Africa and Finland. He previously served as co-creator of BBC1’s Tumble and ITV’s primetime entertainment food competition BBQ Champ. He also had a hand in developing BBC1’s revamp of Room 101 and Let’s Sing and Dance, ITV2’s Prank Pad and BBC2’s What’s The Right Diet For You?.

Baker’s appointment follows the January addition of former Frantic Films exec Bernard Periatambee, who joined the company’s Toronto office as VP of development.

From Realscreen