Red Production Company

Last updated

Red Production Company Limited
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryTelevision
Genre Production company
Founded1998;26 years ago (1998)
Founder Nicola Shindler
Headquarters MediaCityUK, ,
United Kingdom
Key people
Patrick Schweitzer (CEO)
Parent StudioCanal (2013–present)
Website redproductioncompany.com

Red Production Company Limited [1] [2] is a British independent television production company owned by StudioCanal. [3]

Contents

Background

Red Production Company was formed in 1998 by Nicola Shindler, a television producer who had worked on Our Friends in the North and Cracker . Red's first production was the controversial drama Queer as Folk , written by Russell T Davies and based on the lives of three gay men in the city. This was screened on Channel 4 in early 1999 and drew much comment and praise.

The same year, Red followed this up with another series for Channel 4, an anthology of six half-hour plays about love entitled Love in the 21st Century. Queer as Folk 2 arrived in 2000, and since then Red has expanded to produce dramas for nearly all of the main British television channels. The company's success led to an attempt by Granada Television – in whose Quay Street building the company rented offices – to buy it, but Shindler turned down their offer, wanting to retain control of her own company.

In 2013, Red moved into the MediaCityUK complex in Manchester. [4] RED is now based in offices at Ancoats since 2022, with CEO Patrick Schweitzer (previously from Tall Story Pictures) at the healm.

Partnerships

In December 2013, it was announced that Shindler had sold a majority stake in Red to the French media company StudioCanal. [5] [6]

In 2015, it was announced that Shindler would provide creative guidance and management oversight to a new production company called Guilty Party, founded by the actor Simon Bird, Jonny Sweet, and Spencer Millman. [7]

In 2016, Shindler went into business with author Harlan Coben to form the US-based production company, Final Twist Productions. Shindler is Co-CEO with Coben. StudioCanal will provide distribution services. [8]

Programmes

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References

  1. "RED PRODUCTION COMPANY LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House . 24 December 1997. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  2. "Front Page - Red Production Company". Red Production Company. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. Perraudin, Frances (24 July 2016). "Happy Valley producer: Gritty north? 'I get very cross about that phrase'". The Guardian .
  4. Begum, Shelina (2 October 2013). "RED Production Company moves to MediaCityUK". Manchester Evening News .
  5. Sweney, Mark (5 December 2013). "Last Tango in Halifax producer sells majority stake to French company". The Guardian .
  6. Barraclough, Leo; Keslassy, Elsa (5 December 2013). "Studiocanal Ramps Up TV Series Biz with RED Acquisition". Variety .
  7. Ritman, Alex (14 October 2015). "StudioCanal Launches U.K. TV, Film Banner with 'Inbetweeners' Star". The Hollywood Reporter .
  8. Barraclough, Leo (8 March 2016). "Harlan Coben Launches U.S. Production Company Final Twist With Red's Nicola Shindler (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety .