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For seven decades, ITV Studios has led with bold ideas, creative breakthroughs and unforgettable television that has defined popular culture
As the company celebrates its anniversary, it reflects on a legacy that continues to shape the world of entertainment – from the productions that helped launch Britain’s commercial television industry to record-breaking successes such as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, ITV’s biggest drama in 22 years, and Ludwig, the BBC’s biggest scripted launch in two years.
This continued success, recognised with ITV Studios being named Production Group of the Year at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, reinforces its place as one of the world’s most powerful creative forces. With more than 60 labels across 13 countries and 95,000 hours of premium content, ITV Studios creates television that gets the world talking.
From the beginning, ITV Studios’ ambition was global. In 1955, The Adventures of Robin Hood became the first ITV Studios show sold to an American network, when CBS picked it up. The series became a commercial and cultural hit, spawning merchandise from wallets to toy bows and arrows, and even two cinema spin-offs. It is one of the earliest examples of television transforming into a brand.
“ITV Studios has shown that great television doesn’t just capture imaginations – it builds lasting cultural touchpoints”
That instinct to create worlds audiences could step into has remained part of ITV Studios’ DNA ever since. From Thunderbirds Are Go and its merchandising legacy to Hell’s Kitchen restaurants and Love Island water bottles, ITV Studios has shown that great television doesn’t just capture imaginations – it builds lasting cultural touchpoints.
Sunday Night At The London Palladium revolutionised entertainment by bringing big film stars into living rooms. Debuting in 1955, it commanded an audience share of 84% and created ITV’s first homegrown star, Bruce Forsyth. Since then, ITV Studios has launched countless careers, including Helen Mirren and David Suchet. In every era, it has proved that great television doesn’t just live on screen – it lives in the people, stories and culture it creates.
Breaking new ground
As those stories became part of everyday life, ITV Studios began breaking new ground in who got to tell them and whose lives were represented on screen. That drive to reflect the world authentically has defined its drama for decades. In 1960, Coronation Street captured working-class Britain with warmth, wit and truth, proving that stories about ordinary people could unite audiences everywhere.
The soap made history with Hayley Cropper, the first trans character in a British soap – a landmark in visibility and empathy that changed television forever.
That spirit of progress lives on. In 2024, I Kissed A Boy, produced by Twofour for the BBC, became the UK’s first dating show for gay men, paving the way for I Kissed A Girl.
Across generations, it’s commitment to authentic storytelling continues to drive television forward. Love Island, adapted in more than 27 countries, has redefined the dating genre for a new generation and built a global fan community – none more so than in the US, where Love Island USA season seven became Peacock’s most-watched original season ever.
That instinct for reinvention has powered a new era of unscripted hits. In 2000, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Hell’s Kitchen arrived, establishing ITV Studios as a creative powerhouse in reality entertainment and format innovation.
Between 2012 and 2025, ITV Studios evolved from a national leader into a truly global creative network. The inventive energy that shaped television at home now powers hits worldwide, forging partnerships that turn great British storytelling into global success.
Among the standout achievements of this era is Queer Eye. Produced by ITV Studios America, the 2018 Netflix revival reimagined the beloved makeover format for a new generation, striking a chord with audiences everywhere and winning 11 Emmys.
As audiences and platforms continue to evolve, one thing remains unchanged: ITV Studios’ belief in the power of creativity to bring people together and keep television at the heart of culture. Seventy years on, that belief continues to guide its storytellers across genres and generations, ensuring that the magic of great television endures wherever, and however, the world is watching.
