Skins returns for a sixth series with Welch and Duncan at the helm

Company Pictures has appointed Toby Welch and Neil Duncan as producers for an extended 10 episode run of the BAFTA-award-winning series.

Both Welch and Duncan have a longstanding relationship with Skins. Welch worked as a runner and as an assistant to Bryan Elsley on series 2, before producing all cross platform content for Skins series 3 and 4 and by series 5 had progressed to the role of Assistant Producer.

Duncan script edited Skins series 3 and 4 before taking on the Script executive role for series 5. He has previously worked as a script editor on New Tricks and EastEnders.

John Griffin will continue to executive produce the series alongside Company Pictures directors / Chief executives George Faber, Charlie Pattinson and series co-creator Bryan Elsley.

John Griffin added: "We're delighted to have Neil Duncan and Toby Welch producing this year. They have been with the show for the past three and four years, Neil coming on board in series 3 as the script editor, before becoming the script executive last year and Toby starting out as an assistant on series 2, becoming on-line producer and assistant producer. On a show that has found and developed so much young creative talent it feels logical that we should put these two at the helm of the show and we're very excited about the energy that they collectively bring."

The 10 episode series will begin shooting this month to transmit on E4 in January 2012.