14/08/2025
The Merman co-founder talks change at the company, signing a first-look deal with HBO and championing new talent.
Interview (including excerpts below) by Marian McHugh for . See links in our story’s or Broadcast website for full piece.
“Bloody Nora!” exclaims upon hearing that Merman, the company she co-founded and
leads, is the UK’s fourth largest true indie by turnover, according to this year’s Broadcast Indie Survey.
She credits the exec team (who include .parkinson, Jackie Sidey, , and Amanda Wasey) for running
the majority of the day-to-day operations, stating she is as involved as she “needs to be” and that the team
accommodates her writing and filming schedules.
“There’s only so much I could do as a one-man band and I find it exciting to watch the company grow and
expand,” she says. “I’ve always been someone who just loves making stuff and with the company, that’s so much more viable.”
Siren is a joint venture with , Lucas Ochoa, who previously served as chief creative officer of Pulse’s scripted division and latterly steered its film and scripted TV output. His credits include returning TV series Gangs Of London (Sky/AMC), as well as feature films such as Andrea Arnold’s American Honey, Robert Eggers’ The Witch and Emmy-winning documentary Trophy.
Horgan says Siren has given access to new and different talent, particularly in the film space, through Ochoa. “It’s a bit more masculine. It’s different to what we make but has the same quality control as Merman.”
