▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Sam ▁Mitchell ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁after ▁D ann iella ▁West bro ok ' s ▁drug ▁add iction ▁left ▁her ▁un su itable ▁for ▁the ▁role . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁soap ▁for ▁a ▁senior ▁position ▁under ▁Mal ▁Young ▁in ▁the ▁BBC ' s ▁in - house ▁D rama ▁Series ▁team , ▁but ▁soon ▁after ▁he ▁left ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁Channel ▁ 4 ▁as ▁the ▁Head ▁of ▁D rama ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁At ▁Channel ▁ 4 , ▁he ▁commission ed ▁series ▁such ▁as ▁Sh am eless , ▁Sex ▁Tra ffic ▁and ▁the ▁crit ically ▁acc laimed ▁O mag h . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁he ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁BBC , ▁taking ▁over ▁Mal ▁Young ' s ▁position , ▁as ▁Controller ▁of ▁BBC ▁D rama ▁Series , ▁and , ▁in ▁addition , ▁Co - Head ▁of ▁Independent ▁D rama ▁Commission ing ▁( i . e . ▁program mes ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁BBC ▁by ▁independent ▁production ▁companies , ▁rather ▁than ▁in - house ). ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁reasons ▁he ▁returned ▁was ▁to ▁set ▁around ▁revers ing ▁the ▁fort unes ▁of ▁East End ers , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁receiving ▁low ▁ratings ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁the ▁past . ▁The ▁results ▁were ▁mixed . ▁As ▁Controller ▁of ▁Cont inu ing ▁D rama ▁Series , ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁ultimately ▁responsible ▁for ▁over see ing ▁some