Winner
Kudos
Another great year for the Shine-owned Kudos Productions that has the twin knack of launching successful new series while keeping its stalwart franchises fresh and popular. After a successful 2008 run out, Spooks has already been booked in for its eighth season on BBC1 this year (it’s also picked up two Bulldog Awards itself). Hustle has already come back to BBC1 in 2009 and 80s era cop drama Ashes to Ashes picked up a 7m audience on its return to BBC1. The Moving Wallpaper/Echo Beach experiment received mixed reviews on its first outing but Moving Wallpaper (pictured) has already been back on ITV1, this time with the production team putting together a zombie drama. Simon Crawford Collins and Daniel Isaacs are the joint mds. Jane Featherstone is creative director and Stephen Garrett is the executive chairman.
2nd
Wall to Wall
Now part of the Shed Media group, Wall to Wall’s intelligent takes on factual TV still make waves with Who Do Yo Think You Are? (pictured) in its sixth season on the BBC and it’s also now heading to the States. Drama New Tricks is still a big hitter in the BBC schedules too and has been commissioned for a sixth run. The company has garnered big screen success as well with documentary Man On Wire which has picked up an Oscar for best doc and the Bafta for Outstanding British Film.
3rd
Twofour
Twofour has transformed itself into a real all-rounder in recent years. It’s still producing its bedrock of factual shows like The Hotel Inspector, Beat: Life on the Streets and primetime celebrity chef doc Big Chef Takes on Little Chef but it’s also made a major move into studio shows with Noel’s HQ, Noel’s Christmas Presents and Are You Smarter Than a Ten Year Old? for Sky. Drama is the next genre in the indie’s sights. The west country indie also houses a sizeable corporate production arm and digital offshoot.
