The BBC's incoming director general wants to use dramas such as Wolf Hall and The White Queen to make the corporation an international cultural beacon for the UK.

Lord Hall, the outgoing chief executive of the Royal Opera House, takes up his new role on 2 April.

The BBC's controller of drama commissioning Ben Stephenson, who has met Hall twice since the latter's appointment in November, said he talked about the BBC's "cultural legacy and impact".

Stephenson added that they had also talked about "What does that mean and what does it mean as an international broadcaster in the modern age, but crucially without losing our values.

"It's exporting what we are, the Danny Boyle philosophy of Britain exporting what we are to the world and the world will come, rather than pretending, dressing up in the clothes of Hollywood."

He added: "The two conversations I have had with Lord Hall have emphasised the point that we are a cultural organisation, we are there to aim higher, which doesn't mean being niche. It just means being incredibly ambitious for our audience."

Janet McTeer will star in BBC1's 10-part adaptation of Philippa Gregory's The White Queen, while Elisabeth Moss will appear in Jane Campion's six-part BBC2 drama, Top of the Lake. Hilary Mantel's Booker prize-winning Wolf Hall is being adapted for BBC2.

Stephenson said it would be Hall's job to unveil his vision for the BBC when he arrives in April.

"He has run the Royal Opera House in the most inspiring way – he has made it higher quality than ever, more accessible than ever, varied and interesting with a mixture of traditional and modern. I think all of those elements will be what we aim for," he added.

"The other thing we have talked about is its role as an international cultural organisation. In some ways the word international for television drama is a dirty word – it suggests co-productions where the budget comes first.

"But one of the things we talked about is when you have Elisabeth Moss in a drama or you work with Jane Campion or Idris Elba comes back from America to make a drama [BBC1's Luther] it makes us feel more confident and excited that the BBC is offering something different and special."

Hall's ambition to reinforce the BBC's international role and reputation echoes the sentiments of The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci's Bafta lecture last year, albeit in rather different language.

Iannucci said TV executives had to be "more aggressive in promoting what makes British TV so good. Be ambitious, arrogant even, in how we sell it to the world. The BBC brand is up there with Apple and Google, I want it to go abroad and prostitute itself to blue buggery in how it sells and makes money from its content."

Stephenson said: "I think we are sometimes a bit shy. I think we should be out there. The truth is when we go to America they talk about how great they are, but they talk about how great the drama is coming from the UK.

"Generally that means – not on all occasions – generally that means from the BBC and the world is jealous of what the BBC has. We can hold our heads up high and be even more ambitious."

Stephenson, who unveiled a new BBC drama slate on Monday night featuring a new Saturday teatime fantasy, Atlantis, and adaptation of PD James's Death Comes to Pemberley and a 3D 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who, said he would not be leaving the BBC to fill the vacant drama chief slot at ITV.

"I am not going to ITV, I am very happy here," said Stephenson, who has been touted as a future channel controller, possibly of BBC1, if incumbent Danny Cohen gets the vacant BBC director of vision job.

"I have no idea what I will do next," said Stephenson. "I have been doing this job for four years but it is only three years of drama on screen. It takes a long time to make drama. I love it, I have got no plans."

• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook