The new crop of hit-makers: ones to watch

BAD WOLF

Famously named after a plotline from the first series of the revived Doctor Who, which they shepherded onto screens, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner’s indie is staying with fantasy for its first major commission. A multi-series adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials “couldn’t be a bigger statement of intent” for the Cardiff and LA-based company, Gardner has declared. Fantasy is also on the menu for another project, The Warlord Chronicles, a trilogy based on the King Arthur legend by The Last Kingdom author Bernard Cornwell.

BIGGER BANG

Former Darlow Smithson executives Ben Bowie and Iain Riddick formally revealed they had set up this multi-genre indie in January, with six-part National Geographic series Genius By Stephen Hawking as their calling card. Their heartland may be in specialist factual, but the pair are also developing drama projects and entertainment formats for global audiences.

CHARACTER SEVEN

Kudos co-founder Stephen Garrett is back with this scripted indie, two years after stepping down as executive chair of the Spooks producer. Character Seven co-produced BBC1’s The Night Manager alongside The Ink Factory, but its next project shows the scale of its ambitions: a London-set supernatural thriller for US VoD service Hulu with Lionsgate and Twilight author Stephanie Meyers’ Fickle Fish on the Rock.

FULL FAT TELEVISION

Former Remarkable Television co-managing director Colette Foster hopes to spark a renaissance in TV production in the Midlands with her new indie. Foster’s back catalogue of Birmingham shows includes 10 Years Younger, Embarrassing Illnesses, The Clothes Show and Gardeners’ World. She has made it her “personal imperative” to unearth emerging talent in the region.

MAN ALIVE

Fremantle Media has taken a 25% stake in this entertainment and fact-ent indie, set up by former Channel 4 head of entertainment Justin Gorman. Marking his move back into production after five years at C4 – he was previously an executive producer at Objective Productions – Man Alive is focusing on large-scale entertainment formats and fact-ent series, particularly reality and quiz shows. Gorman has brought his former C4 colleague Hannah Dodson in as head of development and will work closely with Rob Clark, director of global entertainment at Fremantle Media, with whom he previously worked on ITV’s Surprise, Surprise.

SISTER PICTURES

While Stephen Garrett keeps busy with Character Seven, his fellow former Kudos executive Jane Featherstone has set up this drama indie, flanked by Kudos development executive Katie Carpenter. What’s more, ex-Shine Group chief executive Liz Murdoch is close to backing the venture. Sister will have a co-production credit on Kudos’ third series of ITV’s Broadchurch and has a divorce lawyer series, The Split, in development with Abi Morgan, creator of Kudos hits The Hour and River.

SPELTHORNE COMMUNITY TELEVISION

C4 raised eyebrows when it dipped into its Growth Fund to back an indie from its former head of comedy and entertainment Andrew Newman and the man behind Ali G, Sacha Baron Cohen. Newman described it as “a leap of faith” to leave his role as Objective chief executive and C4 has called it the first “true start-up” in which the fund has invested. The indie will produce Baron Cohen’s new projects, as well as eyeing opportunities for new talent to make what it describes as “innovative, different and edgy” comedy and entertainment shows.

TWENTY SIX 03

Former ITV and Sky commissioner Duncan Gray shunned start-up investment and distribution deals to launch this entertainment indie, which announced itself with Sky 1 music panel show Bring The Noise. Gray has said he was energised after escaping the “hamster wheel of development and broken dreams” when he stood down from Princess Productions in January 2014, describing his new venture as “an exciting runway of creative fulfilment.”

WHISPER FILMS

This sports indie has been around since 2010 but its stock rose in 2015 when it secured investment from C4’s Growth Fund – and then in January this year, when it beat North One to the broadcaster’s £30m Formula 1 contract. Founded by former IMG and BBC executive Sunil Patel, BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey and ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard, the indie has made BBC1 doc Racing With The Hamiltons: Nic In The Driving Seat and highlights of ITV4’s coverage of DTM German Touring Cars. Helping to realise its ambitions is Mark Cole, the former chief of BBC1’s Match Of The Day, who recently joined as head of television.

YOUNGEST MEDIA

Liz Murdoch is also backing former Endemol Shine UK chief creative officer David Flynn and ex-Endemol UK chief executive Lucas Church’s indie, which specialises in primetime and daytime entertainment and fact-ent formats – plus apps that could evolve into TV brands. The pair hope to rejuvenate entertainment with a data-based model that monitors consumer reaction throughout the development and production process.