Exclusive: Steve Michaels, boss of Asylum Entertainment Group, is continuing his Endeavor-backed M&a drive.
The company has invested in British production company Soho Studios Entertainment, founded by former Alaska TV and Zodiak exec Ian Lamarra.
It marks the latest investment for Michaels’ group, which bought a stake in Dawn Airey’s British production company Moon&Back Media last September.
It comes nearly a year after WME owner Endeavor acquired a majority stake in Asylum with plans to “supercharge” its footprint with a major M&a drive that has seen it invest in a number of nonscripted businesses.
Soho Studios was founded by Lamarra in 2022 with former Objective Media Group boss Paul Sandler and Money Group Entertainment CEO Francis Ridley as co-founding directors.
Its first series order was for ITV’s The Playboy Bunny Murder, a two-part documentary series from Marcel Theroux, which told the murders of three young women in London,...
The company has invested in British production company Soho Studios Entertainment, founded by former Alaska TV and Zodiak exec Ian Lamarra.
It marks the latest investment for Michaels’ group, which bought a stake in Dawn Airey’s British production company Moon&Back Media last September.
It comes nearly a year after WME owner Endeavor acquired a majority stake in Asylum with plans to “supercharge” its footprint with a major M&a drive that has seen it invest in a number of nonscripted businesses.
Soho Studios was founded by Lamarra in 2022 with former Objective Media Group boss Paul Sandler and Money Group Entertainment CEO Francis Ridley as co-founding directors.
Its first series order was for ITV’s The Playboy Bunny Murder, a two-part documentary series from Marcel Theroux, which told the murders of three young women in London,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Damian Lewis: Spy Wars and GamesMaster exec producer Ian Lamarra has left Alaska TV, the company he co-founded in 2011, to launch talent-led TV, podcast and live events producer Soho Studios Entertainment.
The company, which has already built up a slate and is being repped by WME, will be based in Lamarra’s Glasgow hometown and have a Soho office.
Soho’s initial focus will be on premium factual, factual entertainment and true crime, with Soho seeking investment from backers and launching with Money Group Entertainment CEO Francis Ridley and former Objective Productions MD Paul Sandler as Co-Directors.
Lamarra oversaw the likes of Damian Lewis: Spy Wars, In The Footsteps of Killers with Emilia Fox and E4’s Trevor McDonald-led GamesMaster reboot during his Alaska tenure, along with a Channel 5 documentary about Meghan Markle’s father Thomas Markle. He was previously a Creative Director at Avalon and Head of Development at Tiger Aspect.
The company, which has already built up a slate and is being repped by WME, will be based in Lamarra’s Glasgow hometown and have a Soho office.
Soho’s initial focus will be on premium factual, factual entertainment and true crime, with Soho seeking investment from backers and launching with Money Group Entertainment CEO Francis Ridley and former Objective Productions MD Paul Sandler as Co-Directors.
Lamarra oversaw the likes of Damian Lewis: Spy Wars, In The Footsteps of Killers with Emilia Fox and E4’s Trevor McDonald-led GamesMaster reboot during his Alaska tenure, along with a Channel 5 documentary about Meghan Markle’s father Thomas Markle. He was previously a Creative Director at Avalon and Head of Development at Tiger Aspect.
- 8/15/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Objective MD Joins King of Sunshine
Exclusive: Paul Sandler, a former MD of Peep Show and The Cube producer Objective Media Group, has joined the entertainment indie run by former BBC commissioner Sohail Shah. Sandler joins King of Sunshine Productions as a Non-Exec Director and will help run the outfit, which has produced ITV’s Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime and Britain’s Favourite Detective, while recently picking up the rights to Sharna Jackson kids novel High-Rise Mystery. Sandler became Objective Productions (now Objective Media Group) MD in 2005 shortly before the outfit was acquired by All3Media and held the role for 10 years, overseeing a period of growth with shows such as hit Channel 4 cult comedy Peep Show, Derren Brown and ITV gameshow format The Cube. In 2015, he became COO of three ITV Studios-backed labels under the Cats on the Roof banner, labels that are now being wound...
Exclusive: Paul Sandler, a former MD of Peep Show and The Cube producer Objective Media Group, has joined the entertainment indie run by former BBC commissioner Sohail Shah. Sandler joins King of Sunshine Productions as a Non-Exec Director and will help run the outfit, which has produced ITV’s Agatha & Poirot: Partners in Crime and Britain’s Favourite Detective, while recently picking up the rights to Sharna Jackson kids novel High-Rise Mystery. Sandler became Objective Productions (now Objective Media Group) MD in 2005 shortly before the outfit was acquired by All3Media and held the role for 10 years, overseeing a period of growth with shows such as hit Channel 4 cult comedy Peep Show, Derren Brown and ITV gameshow format The Cube. In 2015, he became COO of three ITV Studios-backed labels under the Cats on the Roof banner, labels that are now being wound...
- 1/13/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
BritBox, the BBC and ITV’s joint-venture streamer, has acquired ITV’s John Simm drama Grace for the U.S. and Canada. The service will premiere the drama on April 27.
Told as two feature-length episodes, Grace is an adaptation of Peter James’ Roy Grace crime novels from Endeavour creator Russell Lewis. It is a co-production between Jekyll & Hyde producer Tall Story Pictures, Second Act Productions, and Derren Brown’s Vaudeville Productions.
It is based on James’ first two Roy Grace books Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead, which introduce Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job.
The drama opens with Grace’s career at rock bottom. He’s fixated by the disappearance of his wife, Sandy, which haunts his thoughts. He’s in the last chance saloon running inquiries into long-forgotten cold cases with little prospect of success. Following another...
Told as two feature-length episodes, Grace is an adaptation of Peter James’ Roy Grace crime novels from Endeavour creator Russell Lewis. It is a co-production between Jekyll & Hyde producer Tall Story Pictures, Second Act Productions, and Derren Brown’s Vaudeville Productions.
It is based on James’ first two Roy Grace books Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead, which introduce Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job.
The drama opens with Grace’s career at rock bottom. He’s fixated by the disappearance of his wife, Sandy, which haunts his thoughts. He’s in the last chance saloon running inquiries into long-forgotten cold cases with little prospect of success. Following another...
- 3/18/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Doctor Who and The Catch star John Simm is to star in an adaptation of Peter James’ Roy Grace crime novels from Endeavour creator Russell Lewis for ITV.
The British commercial broadcaster has ordered Grace, a co-production between Jekyll & Hyde producer Tall Story Pictures, Second Act Productions, which produced ITV’s The Nightly Show and Derren Brown’s Vaudeville Productions.
The series will comprise two feature-length episodes and will be based on James’ first two Roy Grace books Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead, which introduce Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job.
Simm, who also starred in HBO’s first Game of Thrones prequel pilot, will play the tenacious detective.
The drama opens with Grace’s career at rock bottom. He’s fixated by the disappearance of his wife, Sandy, which haunts his thoughts. He’s in the...
The British commercial broadcaster has ordered Grace, a co-production between Jekyll & Hyde producer Tall Story Pictures, Second Act Productions, which produced ITV’s The Nightly Show and Derren Brown’s Vaudeville Productions.
The series will comprise two feature-length episodes and will be based on James’ first two Roy Grace books Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead, which introduce Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job.
Simm, who also starred in HBO’s first Game of Thrones prequel pilot, will play the tenacious detective.
The drama opens with Grace’s career at rock bottom. He’s fixated by the disappearance of his wife, Sandy, which haunts his thoughts. He’s in the...
- 12/19/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Mipcom: Demand for UK television shows abroad has increased 5% over the past 12 months, fuelled by growing sales in the Us and China.
Pact’s annual UK Television Exports Survey found that total TV programming sales were worth £1.28bn in 2013, compared to £1.22bn in 2012.
China was the largest growth market with a 40% boost in this period, taking total sales to £17m in 2014, compared with £12m last year. This meant that the country overtook Holland and Spain, which both acquired £16m of UK content respectively.
All3Media was one of the main drivers of business in China, with Objective format The Cube and Zoo Productions’ Are You Normal? helping the super-indie make inroads. China is also fond of Carnival Films drama Downton Abbey.
Objective managing director Paul Sandler said China is the fastest growing and largest untapped market for UK businesses. “They still have a real hunger for Western formats and techniques and that represents an enormous opportunity,” he added...
Pact’s annual UK Television Exports Survey found that total TV programming sales were worth £1.28bn in 2013, compared to £1.22bn in 2012.
China was the largest growth market with a 40% boost in this period, taking total sales to £17m in 2014, compared with £12m last year. This meant that the country overtook Holland and Spain, which both acquired £16m of UK content respectively.
All3Media was one of the main drivers of business in China, with Objective format The Cube and Zoo Productions’ Are You Normal? helping the super-indie make inroads. China is also fond of Carnival Films drama Downton Abbey.
Objective managing director Paul Sandler said China is the fastest growing and largest untapped market for UK businesses. “They still have a real hunger for Western formats and techniques and that represents an enormous opportunity,” he added...
- 10/13/2014
- ScreenDaily
A host of UK indies are in China for a China-uk TV summit
A trade mission comprising 22 UK TV indies and Channel 4 chief executive David Abraham is in China for the first ever China-uk TV summit.
UK companies including Shed Media, Zigzag, All3Media, Argonon and Arrow Media will meet with more than 100 Chinese delegates.
The mission includes meetings, presentations and pitches and today’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between Pact and China Central Television, aimed at fostering collaborations on commissions, co-productions and acquisitions.
The MoU will be witnessed by senior Chinese government officials and UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey MP.
The TV summit follows the first ever China-uk film summit, which took place last week, and precedes a reciprocal UK-China film and TV summit in the UK in September.
Pact chief executive John McVay said of this week’s event: “This landmark television summit...
A trade mission comprising 22 UK TV indies and Channel 4 chief executive David Abraham is in China for the first ever China-uk TV summit.
UK companies including Shed Media, Zigzag, All3Media, Argonon and Arrow Media will meet with more than 100 Chinese delegates.
The mission includes meetings, presentations and pitches and today’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between Pact and China Central Television, aimed at fostering collaborations on commissions, co-productions and acquisitions.
The MoU will be witnessed by senior Chinese government officials and UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey MP.
The TV summit follows the first ever China-uk film summit, which took place last week, and precedes a reciprocal UK-China film and TV summit in the UK in September.
Pact chief executive John McVay said of this week’s event: “This landmark television summit...
- 4/23/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
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