Peter Fincham, Tim Hincks Launch Production Company Expectation
Veteran British television executives Peter Fincham, formerly of ITV, and Tim Hincks, previously with Endemol Shine, have launched their own independent production company, Expectation.
The company has attracted investment from BBC Worldwide as a minority investor with a 24.9% shareholding and board representation.
Expectation will have six departments across scripted and non-scripted programming, including drama, comedy, factual entertainment, entertainment, reality and factual. Nerys Evans joins the company as creative director, comedy, while Nick Mather and Nick Samwell-Smith are creative directors, entertainment. Further appointments will follow.
Evans was formerly deputy head of comedy at Channel 4, where she has spent the past four years overseeing series such as “Catastrophe,” “Flowers” and “The Windsors.” Mather worked at Endemol Shine for 10 years as creative director of the Central Team, and managing director of Remarkable Television, before taking on a consultancy role at Tuesday’s Child. Samwell-Smith left Endemol Shine last year where he had spent 19 years at Initial, part of Endemol Shine U.K., becoming creative director and then managing director.
Fincham and Hincks have a wealth of experience between them.
Fincham joined TalkBack in 1985 and became managing director the following year. In 2000 the company was sold to Fremantle and two years later Fincham became CEO of TalkBack Thames. In 2005 he became controller of BBC One, and in 2008, director of television at ITV, where he remained until last year.
Hincks became creative director of Endemol U.K. in 2002 and stepped up to become Endemol’s CEO in 2005, and then president of Endemol Group in 2011, and in 2014 became president of Endemol Shine Group. He stepped down from the company last year.
Fincham, co-CEO, said: “It’s not much of a secret that Tim and I have been planning a start-up together, and we’ve reached the right moment to take the wrappers off. First and foremost, Expectation is a creatively led indie – we’re going to put people and programs first, second and third.”
Hincks, also co-CEO, said: “Expectation has one simple aim, which is to create a home for creative people to do what they do best – a home where the best talent can create and produce the best, most engaging, innovative and entertaining content for the U.K. and the world.”
Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Worldwide, said that investing in Expectation “was irresistible” given Fincham and Hincks’ track record.
Based in West London, Expectation’s team also includes Rob Brown, chief financial officer; Kellie Turner, executive assistant to the co-CEOs; assistant producer Ros Owino, who worked at Studio Lambert and Fresh One in development; Sou Pang in finance, who was previously at All3Media; and Charlie Jones, office runner, who comes from Twenty Twenty and Studio Lambert.
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