Yahoo Finance Fremantle Merges U.K. Labels Thames and Talkback Again Amid Restructure, Talkback’s Jonno Richards Exits
Fremantle is merging two of its U.K. unscripted labels Thames and Talkback amid its global restructure.
Talkback managing director Jonno Richards is leaving the company after five years in the role. He was at Talkback for nine years altogether.
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The new company will be called TalkbackThames and led by Thames managing director Charlie Irwin.
Thames is known for shows such as talent competition “Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream,” in which young stage hopefuls competed for leading roles in the ABBA-inspired stage musical, while Talkback’s output includes Netflix dating gameshow “Too Hot To Handle” and quiz show “QI.”
This is not the first time Talkback and Thames have found themselves united. Fremantle previously merged the two companies in 2003 before separating them again in 2012.
The news comes after Fremantle laid off all staff at scripted label Euston Films, known for shows including the recently launched “Nightsleeper,” and documentary label Undeniable. The labels have technically not been shuttered, although they are now in effect operating with no staff, with Euston’s managing director Kate Harwood – who revived the label for Fremantle back in 2014 – among those exiting.
Last week Variety revealed the global indie was moving its North American scripted business under the purview of Christian Vesper, the CEO of global drama and film. Vesper will now up all drama and film operations for Fremantle across the U.S. and Europe.
Fremantle’s parent company RTL Group denied to Variety it is planning to pull out of North America or looking to sell some of its assets in Fremantle.
“Thames and Talkback have enjoyed a strong partnership for over twenty years and when combined, they have been instrumental in launching some of the U.K.’s most iconic shows including ‘Pop Idol,’ ‘The X Factor,’ ‘Take Me Out,’ ‘Buzzcocks,’ ‘QI,’ ‘Hole in the Wall’ and many more,” said Amelia Brown, CEO of Fremantle U.K. “Now, as the global unscripted landscape continues to expand, there is no better time to reunite their expertise into a single super-label to harness their combined strength and creativity once again and to form a unified structure and identity recognised internationally across the industry.”
“With Charlie’s extensive experience and with one of the best teams in the business, this merger will not only create a stronger, more cohesive unit for buyers, but will also solidify Fremantle U.K.’s industry-leading portfolio of world class labels and strengthen our position as best-in-class in both entertainment and comedy entertainment formats.”
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