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CHRIS CHIBNALL
Writer, Executive Producer, Company Director
Chris is a multi award-winning writer, producer and novelist with extensive experience of showrunning premium British drama. Chris created and executive produced three seasons of the BAFTA and Peabody award-winning Broadchurch, which was remade in the US, France and China. He was the developer and launch showrunner for Law & Order: UK, working closely with original creator Dick Wolf, which ran for eight seasons on ITV. Other credits include The Great Train Robbery, United and Life On Mars. From 2017 to 2022 he showran three seasons of Doctor Who, casting Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor, and diversifying the writing and directing teams. His next series is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery launches on Netflix this year, followed by an adaptation of his debut novel, Death At The White Hart, which has just been greenlit for ITV.
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MADELINE JOINSON
Company Director
Madeline set up Imaginary Friends Productions with Chris in 2010.
She has a background in copywriting, publications and marketing in theatre and the public sector and has had numerous roles including Editor of Volunteering Magazine; Senior Communications Officer at Southwark Council and Marketing Manager at Out of Joint Theatre Company.
REBECCA ROUGHAN
Head of Development
Rebecca is the Head of Development at Imaginary Friends. She runs the company’s development slate, the Next Generation Showrunners Programme and is a producer, most recently on Chris Chibnall's adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery for Netflix. She started working with Chris as script editor on his final series of Doctor Who for the BBC.
Before that, she worked at 42 Management & Production in production on shows for Netflix and Channel 4 and across development. In 2018, she was seconded to LA to help launch their US office.
EMILY GRIMSHAW
Development Editor
Emily joined Imaginary Friends in March 2023. She was the assistant script editor on Chris Chibnall's adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery, a series for Netflix.
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Before this, Emily worked at Kudos for four years assisting their Executive Producers across projects such as SAS Rogue Heroes, Deadwater Fell, Grantchester and Two Weeks to Live.
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Emily graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in Communications and Media.