Cardiff indie Boomerang has been closed by its parent company Twofour with its productions moving under Twofour’s umbrella as well as fellow ITV Studios indie Boom.
Sam Grace, currently Director of Programmes at Boomerang (part of Twofour), is to join Boom’s senior management team led by MD Nia Thomas. Grace spent 16 years in London producing a range of factual formats including Undercover Boss, Long Lost Family and The Apprentice, and won a BAFTA for his work on The Choir. Born and raised in Cardiff, he returned to Wales six years ago to take up his post with Boomerang, where he has overseen a raft of network shows including Extreme Cake Makers for Channel 4, Big Zuu’s Big Eats for UKTV and Britain’s Naughtiest Nursery for Channel 5. He will become Creative Director at Boom as the label ramps up production in Cardiff for network and regional programming.
Under the management of CEO Tim Carter, Chief Creative Officer David Brindley and Managing Director Dan Adamson, Twofour is concentrating development and production between Plymouth and London, strengthening the axis between the bases.
Founded in Plymouth, Twofour has been one of the biggest independent production companies in the Regions for over twenty years alongside a London office. The company will be “doubling down on its roots, re-focusing to where the majority of its productions are based, and harnessing opportunities in Plymouth” where it operates a significant production innovation and post-production business.
Boom Group, which includes production divisions Boom, Boom Cymru, Boom Kids and Boom Social, is one of Wales’ largest production companies, responsible for over 400 hours of programming annually for the BBC, ITV, Channel 5 and S4C, with a slate that includes shows such as S4C’s tense crime thriller 35 Diwrnod, produced and adapted into English language for Channel 5’s 15 Days, ITV’s Britain’s Smallest City, and multi-award winning kids show Project Z for CITV, another show to be adapted from an S4C original, Prosiect Z .
The Boom Group also houses the BAFTA and EMMY award-winning specialist factual and natural history producer Oxford Scientific Films, leading Welsh post-production facility Gorilla and Visual Effects, Motion Graphics and Interactive company, Bait Studio.
Nia Thomas said: “Sam joining the Boom Group and bringing a number of shows with him is really exciting for our production capabilities here in Wales, and means we can continue to ramp up our programming across all genres for both the regional broadcasters in the country as well as all four corners of the UK. Having worked with Sam closely in the past, I cannot wait to create brilliant television with him once again.”
Sam Grace said: “Wales is full of incredible creative talent and this is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that an indigenous Nations indie can produce top quality programmes for a network and global audience.”
Tim Carter said: “Twofour is proud to have been home to Boomerang as they made award-winning shows like What Would Your Kid Do for ITV, Extreme Cake Makers for Channel 4, Big Zuu’s Big Eats for UKTV and countless others. I’m sure that bringing Sam, Nia and the Boom Group together will create the very best platform for further success in the Nations and we wish them all the best.”
Dan Adamson, MD of Twofour, added: “Having lived and worked in Devon for a decade, I’m very aware of the incredible talent and output from our regional base. Now myself, David Brindley and the whole management team will be focusing all of our energy harnessing the talent across the Plymouth and London offices, to continue producing bold and ambitious programming that we can all be proud of.”
Twofour is the home to shows across all the main broadcasters, including, One World: Together at Home for BBC One, The Real Marigold Hotel; the Educating… brand for Channel 4; daytime series Beat the Chef for Channel 4; Channel 5’s longest-running series, The Hotel Inspector; as well as new and returning shows for ITV2 including V Festival and Ibiza Weekender.
Jon Creamer
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