BSkyB has named Elaine Pyke as director of its new entertainment channel Sky Atlantic. Pyke, currently head of drama at Sky, takes on the newly-created role immediately and will report to director of programming Stuart Murphy.

Pyke has established her credentials with projects like Going Postal, a big budget drama based on the novel by Terry Pratchett. However another announcement this week indicates that her job will not just be about scripted shows.

As Pyke’;s new post was unveiled, the company also revealed plans for three factual entertainment commissions: The Devil’;s Dinner Party, Brixham – Fish Town and Treasure Seekers. The last of the three is an eight-part Cineflix Productions UK commission that will follow two designers as they scour the UK for amazing objects to place into some of the country’;s most exclusive contemporary spaces.

So far, Sky Atlantic has promoted itself as the home of quality US drama with content such as Boardwalk Empire, and Game of Thrones. However the use of lower cost reality TV as part of the mix echoes trends in the US cable market.