Chloe Tucker: ‘I’m most excited when my attention has been totally held by a script’
BY Alessia Quaranta
28th Apr 2025
Chloe Tucker is a freelance creative producer with a background in commissioning and script editing. She was an Executive Producer at FilmNation TV UK, working across the development slate, and has held commissioning roles at ITV and Channel 4, where her work included Hollyoaks and other series. She began her career in script editing on shows including Skins and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
Chloe is also a guest tutor on our upcoming Writing TV Drama – Three Months course, which features teaching and masterclasses from top TV professionals.
We caught up with Chloe to talk about what captivates her in a script, the TV shows she’s been loving lately and what she enjoys most about working with CBC students.
You have over 20 years of experience working as a script editor, commissioner and producer for TV. Was there any influence or experience that crystallised or inspired you to get into the industry? What route did you take to pursue this career?
I read English at university, so I knew I loved reading and stories. When I discovered the role of script editor, and talked to a few people who did that job, it felt immediately like the right route for me. It took a long time to get my first break, but eventually I got a job as a development assistant in Children’s Drama at the BBC, which I loved, and worked my way up from there.
You’ve worked on a range of projects – from Maryland, to Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Fresh Meat and Skins. Is there a project you’ve worked on of which you’re most proud of?
I am so lucky to have worked on such amazing TV shows, by such talented writers! I particularly enjoyed Skins, running teenage contributor meetings to keep the stories feeling fresh and authentic and working with a range of writers from new voices to established writers. I also tried my hand at writing on Skins, with a short online film for C4, which was really enjoyable and pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Have you noticed any changes in the industry in recent times? If so, what?
The TV industry is currently going through a massive period of change. Streaming has obviously changed how we view television, and the younger end of the audience have migrated to YouTube. With funding challenges there’s a desire to make international shows with global appeal. But we know how important it is to have homegrown UK shows, just look at the impact of Mr Bates vs The Post Office. So, it’s challenging! But it’ll be exciting to see what kind of shows will come out of this shift. Ultimately, we need stories, they help us process life, and I’ve always loved scripted television for being a very direct way of storytelling with an audience, it feels perhaps more democratic than film or theatre, and our public service broadcasters are integral to that.
What TV dramas or comedies have you enjoyed watching recently? Are there any series that you would recommend for budding screenwriters to watch?
Of the recent shows I’ve watched, I absolutely loved Mr Loverman – I had been craving a family drama and this beautiful adaptation totally delivered, both on family drama and a really heart-wrenching romance. I loved William Mager’s Reunion, a revenge thriller about a deaf man who is released from prison, and is as much about him reconnecting with his daughter as it is the mystery of what happened in his past. And I loved Rapman’s take on superheroes with Supacell, using sickle cell disease as a way into that genre shone a light on that issue in a really unexpected way. In terms of series I’d recommend, my favourite series for beautifully drawn, memorable characters and risk-taking are Six Feet Under and Queer as Folk. I often rewatch them.
What is the most rewarding part of working with Curtis Brown Creative’s budding screenwriters on our Writing TV Drama – Three Months course?
I loved the variety of stories that the writers told – no script was the same. The writers had all thought deeply about their stories, and characters, and everyone came to their notes session prepared and receptive to feedback and discussion. It was especially exciting when writers could think ahead to where the series went beyond their first episode, and how it might return.
Your career has covered a lot of ground and iconic British television shows, from working as a producer in scripted television to commissioner at ITV on shows including The Confessions of Frannie Langton and Maryland, and at Channel 4, on shows such as Hollyoaks and The Accident. When you’re reading a TV script for the first time – what draws you in and gets you excited to work on a project?
A clear concept is necessary, I want to know what the story is and be intrigued by the hook. Once I’m in, I hope to meet characters that feel fully realised – my test is to imagine being in the pub or out with them somewhere, I want to be able to guess how each might behave. As I come to the end of the script, I’m thinking about what I’m coming back for episode to episode – what is the big dramatic question that powers me through to the end of the series? Like any audience member, I’m most excited when my attention has been totally held by a script, and I’m still thinking about the characters and story long after reading it.
Do you have an idea for a TV drama? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work on your screenwriting with expert tuition from top TV professionals on our London-based Writing TV Drama – Three Months course. Applications close 5 May.
If you’re looking for help putting together your application, be sure to read our blog full of screenwriting tips.