ITV Takes Full Ownership Of ‘Poldark’ Producer Mammoth Screen
Prolific scripted indie Mammoth Screen was established in 2007 with ITV holding a 25% equity stake since that time. The acquisitive UK group has now picked up the remaining 75% of the producer of BBC/Masterpiece’s swashbuckling series Poldark and ITV’s crime drama Endeavour.
Mammoth Screen’s Damien Timmer will lead the business as Managing Director while co-founder Michele Buck will step down as Joint Managing Director. Buck will remain as executive producer on series Agatha Raisin, A Tale Of Two Cities and Lewis, however. As part of the original deal, ITV Studios Global Entertainment has an existing agreement to exclusively distribute Mammoth Screen’s output.
Alongside Poldark II and Endeavour III, Mammoth is working on new series commissions including eight-part Victoria, a drama about the life of Queen Victoria that’s created by Daisy Goodwin for ITV; E4’s four-part comedy/drama Tripped which stars The Inbetweeners‘ Blake Harrison and is set in a parallel universe; and Ancient Egypt-set drama Book Of The Dead for The Weinstein Co. (As Deadline reported last week, ITV appears not to be going forward with a potential deal to acquire the TV division of TWC.) Previous Mammoth credits also include award-winning BBC Two/HBO period mini Parade’s End which starred Benedict Cumberbatch.
Mammoth’s Timmer said today, “This move will allow Mammoth to make even more ambitious drama, working with the best creative talent in the business. We have a long history with ITV Studios, and with its support and backing we’ll be able to make television for a wide range of partners both at home and abroad, whilst remaining a very British television company.”
The senior team going forward includes Rebecca Keane as Creative Director; Preethi Mavahalli and Karen Thrussell as Executive Producers; James Penny as Commercial Director; Jon Williams as Director of Production and Finance; and Ronnie Castillo as Head of Production.
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