 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television Film |
| Genre | Scripted |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | George Faber |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
Key people | George Faber (Executive Chairman) George Ormond (Joint Managing Director) Beth Willis (Joint Managing Director) |
| Parent | Banijay UK (2023–present) |
| Website | theforgeentertainment |
The Forge is a British television production company founded by George Faber and owned by Banijay UK.
The Forge was formed in 2014 by George Faber with the aim of developing and producing original and innovative television drama, working in collaboration with the UK's leading and emerging creative talent. Faber had previously founded Company Pictures in 1998. George Ormond joined at the company's inception, with Channel 4’s former Drama Commissioner Beth Willis joining in 2018. [1]
Following its acquisition by Banijay UK in 2023, [2] The Forge has continued to develop scripted drama for both UK broadcasters and international streamers.
In 2026, it was announced that Faber would become the company's Executive Director, with Executive Producers Ormond and Willis becoming joint Managing Directors. [3]
The company's first major success came with National Treasure (2016), a four-part Channel 4 drama written by Jack Thorne and directed by Marc Munden. Starring Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters, the series, inspired by Operation Yewtree, explored the personal and public fallout of historic sexual abuse allegations. The series received four nominations at the 2016 RTS Awards [4] and won the BAFTA for Best Mini-Series [5] and a Peabody Award. [6]
This was followed by The Miniaturist (2017), a BBC adaptation of Jessie Burton’s novel, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. In the same year, The Forge produced Ackley Bridge (2017–2022), a long-running Channel 4 series set in a multicultural Yorkshire community, noted for its ensemble cast and focus on social realism. [7]
In 2018, The Forge produced Collateral , a BBC Two thriller written by David Hare and directed by S. J. Clarkson, starring Carey Mulligan, Billie Piper and John Simm. That year also saw the broadcast of Kiri on Channel 4, starring Sarah Lancashire, a drama praised for its examination of race, class and child protection, [8] which went on to receive multiple BAFTA nominations. [9]
The Forge expanded into political drama with Roadkill (2020), a BBC One series starring Hugh Laurie as a government minister whose public career is threatened by personal scandal. [10] The series won Best Original Music at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards. [11]
In 2021, the company produced Help , a feature-length Channel 4 drama written by Jack Thorne and directed by Marc Munden, starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham. Set in a care home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film received widespread acclaim [12] [13] [14] and won the International Emmy Award for Best TV Movie [15] and the Rose d'Or for Best Drama. [16]
In 2022, The Forge produced Rules of the Game , a BBC One drama examining workplace culture and institutional misconduct, and Marriage , a BBC One relationship drama starring Sean Bean and Nicola Walker. That year also marked an international expansion with Becoming Elizabeth , a historical drama for American pay-TV network Starz, focusing on the early life of Elizabeth I.
From 2023 onwards, The Forge has increasingly partnered with global streaming platforms. The Buccaneers , an Apple TV adaptation of Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel, features a predominantly younger cast alongside Christina Hendricks and was renewed for a third series in 2025. [17] The company followed this with Shardlake (2024), a Disney+ historical mystery adapted by Stephen Butchard. [18]
The Forge's latest productions include Just Act Normal (2025) for BBC Three, alongside upcoming Falling for Channel 4, written by Jack Thorne and starring Keeley Hawes, [19] and A Woman of Substance for Channel 4, an adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s 1979 novel of the same name, starring Brenda Blethyn. [20]
| Show | Distributor / Broadcaster | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| National Treasure | Channel 4 | 2016 |
| The Miniaturist | BBC One | 2017 |
| Ackley Bridge | Channel 4 | 2017–2022 |
| Collateral | BBC Two, Netflix | 2018 |
| Kiri | Channel 4 | |
| Roadkill | BBC One | 2020 |
| Help | Channel 4 | 2021 |
| Rules of the Game | BBC One | 2022 |
| Marriage | ||
| Becoming Elizabeth | Starz | |
| The Buccaneers | Apple TV | 2023–present |
| Shardlake | Disney+, ITV | 2024 |
| Generation Z | Channel 4 | |
| Just Act Normal | BBC Three | 2025 |
| Falling | Channel 4 | 2026 (upcoming) |
| A Woman of Substance |