Serving an incredible range of digital customers from a broad range of bases and across an impressive raft of genres
London, Los Angeles, Sunderland: Fulwell 73 is serving an incredible range of digital customers from a broad range of bases and across an impressive raft of genres.
Friends: The Reunion was a gangbusting success, achieving the double accolade of being HBO Max’s biggest unscripted release ever and the highest rating show on Sky 1 since 2006. So many reunion shows are drab affairs but this was a cleverly produced entertainment special with plenty of laughs – and it paid off.
The indie has also delivered great shows for more unlikely buyers. These included Hometown Showdown for YouTube Originals, which was watched by more than 5.3m people and saw celebrity pals compete to help their birthplace win the episode; and talent format Got What It Takes for CBBC which has racked up an amazing six series for the channel.
The biggest streamers are also big customers, with football access doc All Or Nothing: Juventus and Cinderella the highlights for Amazon Prime. The latter was a modern musical and became the streamer’s most watched original movie worldwide.
Fulwell still had time to be named one of Broadcast’s Best Places to Work in TV in 2022, as well as delivering Sex Unzipped for Netflix (fronted by hip hop star Saweetie and host of sex-positive puppets) and getting access to NASA for Disney + factual series Among The Stars. A fitting title for a company celebrating a stellar year.
SHORTLISTED
Future Studios
Created when publishing company future acquired factual entertainment producer Barcroft Studios in 2019, Future Studios has built on the latter’s smart content strategy to great effect. Its output ranges from 5 x 60-minute TV series Curse of the Ancients for Sky History to three original series for Snap: I Am, Free Tuition and Reunited. The latter averaged 1.4m across eight episodes and peaked at 4.44m.
LAD Studios
The in-house power behing LadBible’s success was formally launched in 2021, but has built on a decade’s worth of data-led content creation to become best in class in terms of connecting with younger viewers. Platform specific editors ensure all its shows are edited, formatted, and positioned to work for every social platform, and key titles include argument format Agree to Disagree and first hand testimony in I Was There.
Lime Pictures
The All3Media indie has gone from strength to strength thanks to a slate of great shows. It has built on the success of Netflix teen drama Free Rein with another similar title – winter sports drama Zero Chill – and continues to turn out some of the most important returning brands for channels such as MTV, ITV2 and E4: Geordie Shore, Geordie OGs, The Only Way Is Essex and Celebs Go Dating.
Monkey
Last year’s winner more than deserved its place on the shortlist again, thanks to its old stagers (Made in Chelsea; the Real Housewives franchise, Don’t Hate the Playaz) and a number of new shows such as Dating No Filter for Sky One, The Complaints Department for Comedy Central and the shortlisted MC Grammar on Sky Kids.
Strawberry Blond TV
Staffed almost entirely by under-30s, Strawberry Blond has grown fast: from nothing four years ago to a turnover of almost £5m. The company opened a Scottish office this year which has already won business from More 4 and CBBC. Key titles include The Ultimate Playlist for CBBC, The Great British Dig for More 4 and The Live Lounge Show for BBC4.
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