BAFTA-Winning ‘A Spy Among Friends’ Producer Patrick Spence Exits ITV Studios

Naman Ramachandran
·1 min read
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BAFTA-winning producer Patrick Spence is leaving ITV Studios after three years, Variety has confirmed.

Spence, who serves as creative director, will leave at the end of March, ITV Studios managing director Julian Bellamy told staff via an internal memo on Thursday. Spence will continue to partner with ITV Studios on upcoming projects including “People vs. Post Office” (working title).

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Spence joined ITV Studios in 2020 and secured several acclaimed commissions, including the BBC’s drama-romance “Ralph & Katie,” a spin-off of “The A Word,” about the lives of a couple with Down syndrome; ITVX’s “Litvinenko,” about the investigation into the death of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko; the BAFTA-nominated Cold War spy drama “A Spy Among Friends,” also for ITVX; and post-pandemic frontline medical drama “Maternal” for ITV.

The producer spent 15 years in commissioning and production at the BBC. He served as head of drama for Northern Ireland from 2003 to 2010. In 2010, Spence set up and ran Fifty Fathoms Productions, a scripted production company owned by Endemol Shine before it was acquired by Banijay. He was managing director at Fifty Fathoms.

Spence won the BAFTA for best single drama in 2015 for the BBC’s “Marvellous,” produced by Fifty Fathoms and Tiger Aspect. Previously, he won a Prix Europa special award for TV fiction for “Occupation” (2009).

Spence’s credits also include “Domina,” “Adult Material,” “The A Word,” “The Eddy,” “Fortitude,” “Guerilla,” “Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen” and “Five Minutes of Heaven.” He will be confirming his next venture imminently.

News of Spence’s departure from ITV Studios was first reported by Deadline.

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