TalkbackTHAMES
Encyclopedia
Talkback Thames is a British television
production company, a division of FremantleMedia
(part of the RTL Group
, which in turn is owned by Bertelsmann
). It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions
and Thames Television
, the former ITV
network franchisee for London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. This merger was arranged in February 2003.
The company also includes, as subsidiaries, several other production companies owned by FremantleMedia, including the UK arm of Grundy Productions
; comedy specialists Alomo Productions and William G. Stewart
's company Regent Productions.
The CEO of talkbackThames is Sara Geater, who took up the post in October 2010, replacing Lorraine Heggessey
, who had been CEO of talkbackTHAMES from 2005 to 2010. She in turn, replaced Peter Fincham
, who had been CEO of Talkback from 1986 to 2003 and then of Talkback Thames from 2003. Fincham left to take over Heggessey's previous job as Controller of BBC One
.
In November 2011 it was announced that from 1 January 2012, the Talkback Thames brand will be split into four different brands; 'Talkback' for comedy, 'Thames' for entertainment, 'Boundless' for factual and 'Retort' for indies.
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
production company, a division of FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
(part of the RTL Group
RTL Group
RTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 45 television and 32 radio stations in 11 countries...
, which in turn is owned by Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
). It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. The company is one of the UK’s leading production companies and part of the RTL Group, a major European broadcast and content company....
and Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, the former ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network franchisee for London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. This merger was arranged in February 2003.
The company also includes, as subsidiaries, several other production companies owned by FremantleMedia, including the UK arm of Grundy Productions
Reg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
; comedy specialists Alomo Productions and William G. Stewart
William G. Stewart
William Gladstone Stewart is an English television producer and director of comedy and game shows, now best known as the former presenter of the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One.-Career:...
's company Regent Productions.
The CEO of talkbackThames is Sara Geater, who took up the post in October 2010, replacing Lorraine Heggessey
Lorraine Heggessey
Lorraine Heggessey is a British television producer and former Chief Executive of the production company Talkback Thames...
, who had been CEO of talkbackTHAMES from 2005 to 2010. She in turn, replaced Peter Fincham
Peter Fincham
Peter Fincham is a British television producer and executive, currently the Director of Television for the ITV network. He was also formerly the Controller of BBC One, the primary television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation, until his resignation on 5 October 2007, following...
, who had been CEO of Talkback from 1986 to 2003 and then of Talkback Thames from 2003. Fincham left to take over Heggessey's previous job as Controller of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
In November 2011 it was announced that from 1 January 2012, the Talkback Thames brand will be split into four different brands; 'Talkback' for comedy, 'Thames' for entertainment, 'Boundless' for factual and 'Retort' for indies.
Productions
Notable Talkback Thames productions include:- The Apprentice for BBC OneBBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
- As the Bell RingsAs the Bell Rings (United Kingdom)As the Bell Rings is a Disney Channel UK Original Interstitial program. Its name is based on the show As the World Turns The format is a selection of short live-action comedy sequences...
for Disney Channel - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
- Originally, a Thames production for ITV - Bo' Selecta!Bo' Selecta!Bo' Selecta! is a British sketch show written and performed by Leigh Francis, known for its often deeply surreal, abstract toilet humour, which lampoons popular culture. It was broadcast on Channel 4 and ran for three series between 2002 and 2004, spawning several spin-offs...
for Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... - Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
in association with SYCOtv for ITV - Celebrity JuiceCelebrity JuiceCelebrity Juice is a British television comedy panel game show on ITV2 that has been airing since 24 September, 2008. The show is presented by Keith Lemon, with regular captains Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton, alongside regular panellist Rufus Hound...
for ITV2 - Da Ali G ShowDa Ali G ShowDa Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
for Channel 4 - Dale's Supermarket SweepDale's Supermarket SweepDale's Supermarket Sweep was a UK game show based on the American Supermarket Sweep TV show format.-1993 - 2001:The original show was recorded in the Television House in Nottingham, which was renamed the Carlton Studios in 1996...
for ITV - originally produced by Central - Des O'Connor with...Des O'ConnorDes O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
- Originally a Thames production for ITV - DuelDuel (UK game show)Duel was an ITV game show based on a format by Francophone production company French TV, hosted by Nick Hancock, broadcast on Saturday evenings. It ran from 19 January 2008 to 5 April 2008.-Format:...
in association with Gallowgate for ITV - Escape to the CountryEscape to the CountryEscape to the Country is a daytime television programme aired on BBC Two. It is currently presented by Jules Hudson, Alistair Appleton, Nicki Chapman, Denise Nurse, Aled Jones and Jonnie Irwin. Previous presenters include Tim Vincent, Catherine Gee, Nick Page and Melissa Porter. In 2010-General...
for BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... - Family AffairsFamily AffairsFamily Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
for Channel 5 - Family FortunesFamily FortunesFamily Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
for ITV1 - originally produced by Central - Going for GoldGoing for GoldGoing for Gold is a British television game show that originally aired on BBC1 between 12 October 1987 and 9 July 1996.It has since been revived for Channel 5 from 13 October 2008 to 20 March 2009...
for Channel 5 - Originally a Grundy production for the BBC - Grand DesignsGrand DesignsGrand Designs is a British television series produced by Talkback Thames and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural home-building projects....
for Channel 4 - Grease Is the WordGrease Is the WordGrease Is the Word was the UK version of NBCs Grease: You're the One that I Want!. It aired during Spring/Summer 2007, and was produced by Syco TV ....
in association with SYCOtv for ITV - Great British Railway JourneysGreat British Railway JourneysGreat British Railway Journeys is a BBC travel documentary television series presented by Michael Portillo. The series premiered on 4 January 2010 on BBC Two, running for 20 half-hour episodes....
for BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... - Green WingGreen WingGreen Wing is a British sitcom set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital. It was created by the same team behind the sketch show Smack the Pony, led by Victoria Pile, and stars Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt....
for Channel 4 - Hole in the WallHole in the Wall (UK game show)Hole in the Wall was a game show that airs on BBC One in the United Kingdom. This game is an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall in which players must contort themselves to fit through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large polystyrene wall moving towards them as they stand in front of a...
for BBC One - How Clean Is Your House?How Clean is Your House?How Clean Is Your House? was a British entertainment/lifestyle television programme in which expert cleaners Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie visited extremely filthy homes and then cleaned them to perfection...
for Channel 4 - The IT CrowdThe IT CrowdThe IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
for Channel 4 - I'm Alan PartridgeI'm Alan PartridgeI'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
- A Talkback Production for BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... - The King is Dead for BBC ThreeBBC ThreeBBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
- Look Around YouLook Around YouLook Around You is a British television comedy series devised and written by Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz, and, in the first series, narrated by Nigel Lambert...
for BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... - Manhunt-Solving Britain's Crimes for ITV
- Monday MondayMonday Monday (TV series)Monday Monday is an ITV comedy drama. It stars Fay Ripley, Jenny Agutter, Neil Stuke, Holly Aird, Morven Christie, Tom Ellis and Miranda Hart.It is set in the head office of a supermarket that has fallen on hard times and had to re-locate its staff from London to Leeds...
- Comedy drama for ITV - Never Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
for BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... - PhoneShopPhoneShopPhoneShop is a British sitcom first broadcast on Channel 4 as a television pilot on 13 November 2009, as part of the channel's Comedy Showcase season of comedy pilots. This was followed by a six-episode series on E4 that started on 7 October 2010...
for E4E4E4, E.IV or E-4 may refer to:In entertainment:* E4 , a digital television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland* Every Extend Extra Extreme a video game from Q Entertainment* Entertainment for All video game expo... - Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right for ITV - originally produced by LWT
- PokerFace in association with Gallowgate for ITV
- Pop IdolPop IdolPop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
in association with 19 Management for ITV - The Price is RightThe Price Is Right (UK game show)The Price Is Right in the UK was hosted by Leslie Crowther, Bob Warman, Bruce Forsyth, and Joe Pasquale. It ran from 24 March 1984 to 12 January 2007.-Crowther era :...
for ITV - originally produced by Central and Yorkshire Television - Property LadderProperty Ladder (TV series)Property Ladder is the name of two television shows from the United Kingdom and United States where first-time property or real-estate developers purchase houses , renovate them, and attempt to sell them for a profit. Their efforts are the featured bit of the show...
for Channel 4 - QIQIQI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
in association with Quite Interesting LimitedQuite Interesting LimitedQuite Interesting Limited is a British research company, most notable for providing the research for the television panel game QI , as well as other QI related programmes and products...
- Originally a Talkback production for BBC Four, BBC One and BBC Two - Richard Bacon's Beer & Pizza ClubRichard Bacon's Beer & Pizza ClubRichard Bacon's Beer & Pizza Club is a British comedy panel show produced by Talkback Thames for ITV4. The programme is presented by Richard Bacon. The programme is currently showing its second series.-Overview:...
for ITV4 - The Rob Brydon ShowThe Rob Brydon ShowThe Rob Brydon Show is a British talk show hosted by comedian Rob Brydon. The first series started on 17 September 2010 and consists of six regular episodes, a compilation episode and a Christmas special...
for BBC Two - The Sharon Osbourne ShowThe Sharon Osbourne ShowThe Sharon Osbourne Show refers to either of two TV chat shows hosted by Sharon Osbourne – the original US version, or the more recent UK version. These are described separately below.-US version :...
for ITV1 - Shooting the PastShooting the PastShooting The Past is a television drama by Stephen Poliakoff, produced by TalkBack Productions for BBC Two and first shown in 1999. It was TalkBack's first drama production, the company being mainly known for its television comedy work...
for BBC One - Thank God, You're Here!Thank God You're Here (UK TV series)Thank God You're Here was a partially improvised comedy based on the original Australian show with the same name. In the show, four guests are placed into a scene they have no knowledge about and have to improvise...
for ITV1 - They Think It's All Over?They Think It's All Over (TV series)They Think It's All Over was a British comedy panel game with a sporting theme produced by Talkback Thames and shown on BBC One. The show's name is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup commentary quotation, "they think it's all over...it is now!" and the show used the phrase as...
for BBC One - Wish You Were Here...?Wish You Were Here...?Wish You Were Here...? is a British television show that was first broadcast on 7th January 1974 on ITV. It was a series of 30 minute shows about travel and holidays. The show was broadcast during peak viewing hours and had gained a significant viewing audience in the UK...
/Do You Still Wish You Were Here...? - Originally a Thames production for ITV - The X Factor (UK)The X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in association with SYCOtv for ITV - The X Factor (US) in association with SYCOtv for FOX