Formerly | Stemdean Limited (1–18 October 1999) [1] |
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Company type | Production company |
Industry |
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Genre |
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Founded | October 1, 1999 [1] |
Founders | |
Headquarters | 5-6 Portland Mews, W1F 8JG, , United Kingdom |
Key people |
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Owner | BBC Studios |
Number of employees | 11–50 |
Website | babycowproductions |
Baby Cow Productions Limited is a British comedy television production company based in London and Manchester, founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal. Since its establishment it has diversified into radio, animation and film. According to their website, Baby Cow "produces bold, high-quality scripted entertainment across all genres for television, film and radio." [2] The company's name is a reference to Coogan's early characters Paul and Pauline Calf.
The company was founded in 1999 by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, with Coogan assuming the role of Creative Director and Normal assuming the role of CEO.
In 2008, BBC Worldwide bought a 25% stake in the company. The acquisition was made at a time when BBC Worldwide was being criticised for its "out of control" ventures, though Normal told The Guardian that BBC Worldwide had not made the highest bid. [3]
In April 2016, Normal stood down as CEO and left the full time position. He remained a consultant of the company for the following year and supported the company while they looked to replace him. Coogan then assumed a broader role as part of his transition.
Upon his departure, Normal commented that “After sixteen and a half years I've decided to take a long overdue break from TV and film production to pursue creative endeavours in other fields. I'm very proud to have been part of a company that has nurtured young talent, sought out originality and produced quality award-winning shows year after year. Steve has such a great team around him and with further support from BBC Worldwide, I know Baby Cow will achieve even greater success in the years to come.” Coogan then went on to add that “Henry has devoted himself brilliantly to the company over the years and deserves to pursue more personal projects. I salute him. He leaves behind a passionate team with great taste and the company he co-founded is in a strong place to grow." [4]
Normal was eventually replaced with Christine Langan, who was the CEO until November 2020. [5] She left her role as head of BBC Films for the job. BBC Worldwide then increased their stake in the company to 73% after Normal's departure. [6] Langan has taken an executive producer role on every Baby Cow productions since she took the job including Camping , The Killing Machine, This Time with Alan Partridge and a new show entitled The Witchfinder , starring Tim Key and Daisy May Cooper, which premiered in the spring of 2022. [7]
Alan Gordon Partridge is an English comedy character portrayed by Steve Coogan. A parody of British television personalities, Partridge is a tactless and inept broadcaster with an inflated sense of celebrity. Since his debut in 1991, he has appeared in media including radio and television series, books, podcasts and film.
Stephen John Coogan is an English-Irish actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for creating and portraying Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which he developed while working with Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris on On the Hour and The Day Today. Partridge has featured in several television series such as I'm Alan Partridge (1997–2002) and the film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013). Coogan has earned accolades such as four BAFTA Awards and three British Comedy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
Kudos is a British film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Amazon and Netflix and its productions include Tin Star, Humans, Broadchurch, The Tunnel, Grantchester, Apple Tree Yard, Utopia,Spooks, Hustle and Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes. In 2007 it was voted Best Independent Production Company by Broadcast magazine. Formed in 1992, since 2007 it has been part of the Shine Group. In 2007 it also set up the film unit, Kudos Pictures. In 2011, the Shine Group was 100% acquired by News Corporation and was part of the 50–50 joint-venture Endemol Shine Group in 2015. On 3 July 2020, France-based Banijay bought the studio through former's acquisition of Endemol Shine Group.
Julia Davis is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night (2004–2005) and the comedies Hunderby (2012–2015) and Camping (2016), which she also directed.
ITV4 is a British free-to-air television channel which first aired on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network.
Graham Duff is an English writer, actor and producer. His work for television and radio is typified by intricate plotting, large casts, frequently dark subject matter and a love of wordplay and surrealism.
Dru Masters is a British composer, best known for composing television music. He has composed tracks for the British version of The Apprentice and The Unteachables, amongst others. He has also composed music for the television channel ITV4, and a number of advertisements.
Gill Isles is a BAFTA winning TV comedy producer.
John Archer is a British comedy magician, television writer and actor. As well as performing magic, he has also commercially released a number of his tricks through various magic suppliers.
This is a list of British television related events from 1991.
Him & Her is a British television sitcom about a lazy twenty-something couple: Steve and Becky, who live in Walthamstow, London. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Three on 6 September 2010. It is written by Stefan Golaszewski and stars Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani. The theme tune is the song "Boom Bang-a-Bang" by Lulu.
The Trip is a British television sitcom and feature film directed by Michael Winterbottom, starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalised versions of themselves on a restaurant tour of northern England. The series was edited into feature film format and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010. The full series was first broadcast on BBC Two and BBC HD in the United Kingdom in November 2010. Both the TV series and film received very positive reviews.
Wimbledon Film & Television Studios is an English film and television production company and facilities provider, located in Colliers Wood, between Mitcham and Wimbledon in south London.
Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge is a BBC Television comedy series of six episodes, and a Christmas special Knowing Me, Knowing Yule on 29 December 1995. It is named after the song "Knowing Me, Knowing You" by ABBA, a rendition of which was used as the show's title music. Steve Coogan plays the incompetent but self-satisfied Norwich-based talk show host Alan Partridge, who often insults his guests and humiliates himself in the process. Alan was a spin-off character from the spoof radio show On the Hour. Knowing Me, Knowing You was written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci and Patrick Marber, with contributions from the regular supporting cast of Doon Mackichan, Rebecca Front and David Schneider, who played Alan's weekly guests. Steve Brown provided the show's music and arrangements, and also appeared as Glenn Ponder, the man in charge of the house band.
Mid Morning Matters is a British digital radio show parody written by Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons and Armando Iannucci, produced by Baby Cow Productions and funded by the British arm of Australian lager company Foster's, starring Coogan as fictional radio DJ Alan Partridge. The first of twelve 15-minute episodes was uploaded to the Foster's Funny website on 5 November 2010, and then available on YouTube. Six 30-minute episodes titled Alan Partridge Mid Morning Matters: Special Edition, edited from the web series, began airing on Sky Atlantic in July 2012 as part of a deal between producers Baby Cow and BSkyB. A second series consisting of six episodes premiered in February 2016.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is a 2013 British comedy film starring Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge, a fictional presenter he has played on various BBC radio and television shows since 1991. It was directed by Declan Lowney and written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham and Neil and Rob Gibbons. Colm Meaney co-starred as Pat Farrell, a DJ who takes hostages after he is fired from Partridge's radio station; Partridge is enlisted as a negotiator.
Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life is one of two one-off Alan Partridge specials commissioned by Sky Atlantic and produced by Baby Cow Productions. It was broadcast on 25 June 2012 and received a BAFTA for Steve Coogan's performance.
Elizabeth Bonner Allen, is a British documentary film maker. Examples of her work are the TV programs Waste, Parking Mad, 15 Stone Babies, Inside John Lewis, and Silverville. Her work has appeared on the BBC, Channel Four, ITV, UKTV, ABC, ABC2, and elsewhere internationally.
This Time with Alan Partridge is a British sitcom first broadcast in 2019 on BBC One. It stars Steve Coogan as the inept broadcaster Alan Partridge in a spoof of day-time magazine programmes such as The One Show and Good Morning Britain.
And Did Those Feet.. With Alan Partridge is an upcoming BBC Comedy mockumentary series starring Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge. It was directed by Neil and Rob Gibbons, written by Coogan with Neil and Rob Gibbons, and produced by Baby Cow.