Plowman to leave BBC

By Ben Dowell for Media Guardian:

The BBC head of comedy, Jon Plowman, whose credits include Absolutely Fabulous and The Vicar of Dibley, is leaving the corporation after 27 years.

Mr Plowman said he had decided to "return to the coalface" of programme-making as a freelance producer, after 13 years as a comedy commissioning executive, but insisted that he hoped to continue his relationship with the BBC. He will leave the BBC later this year.