Warner Bros. Television Studios UK

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Warner Bros. Television Studios UK
FormerlyShed Media Group (1998–2014)
Warner Bros. Television Productions UK (2014–2020)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTelevision production and distribution
Founded1998; 26 years ago (1998) in London, England, United Kingdom
HeadquartersLondon and Brighton (UK)
Los Angeles (USA)
Key people
Nicholas Southgate
Claire Hungate
Terry Downing
ParentWarner Bros. International Television Production
SubsidiariesHanna-Barbera Studios Europe
LazyTown Entertainment
Ricochet
Twenty Twenty Television
Wall to Wall Media
Websitewww.wbitvp.com

Warner Bros. Television Studios UK (formerly Shed Media Group and later Warner Bros. Television Productions UK) is a British creator and distributor of television content. The Group produces long-running television brands in drama, factual, documentary, factual entertainment, and history.

Established in 1998 as Shed Productions, the company floated on AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in March 2005. The group has grown significantly since flotation and to date, five award-winning media companies: Ricochet, Twenty Twenty Television, Wall to Wall Media,[1] and Outright Distribution have all joined the group. In 2010, it was bought by Time Warner.[2][3]

Company history[edit]

Shed was established in 1998,[4] specialising in producing long-running returnable drama including Waterloo Road, Bad Girls and Footballers' Wives. In March 2005, the company listed on AIM (Alternative Investment Market).

In November 2005, Shed acquired Ricochet, a leading production company specialising in factual entertainment. Ricochet created and produces global brand Supernanny. Other programmes include: Extreme Dreams, It's Me or the Dog, Breaking into Tesco and Blood, Sweat and T-shirts.

Shed acquired Outright Distribution (formerly Screentime Partners) in September 2006. The acquisition was a strategic move in order to maximise exploitation of the Group's IP through its own in-house distribution company, whilst growing third-party business.

In September 2007, Shed continued acquired BAFTA award-winning independent Twenty Twenty. Brands include: The Choir, That'll Teach 'Em, Brat Camp, Evacuation, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Shed acquired Wall to Wall in November 2007. A multiple BAFTA winner, Wall to Wall produces long-running brands including BBC One's Who Do You Think You Are? and New Tricks. Reality dramas include: 1940's House and Frontier House. Docu-dramas include: The Day Britain Stopped and Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story.

In 2008, Wall to Wall's Man on Wire won an Academy Award Oscar in the best Documentary Feature category.

On 5 August 2010, Warner Bros. Television secured a 55.75% stake in Shed Media.[5] Warner Bros. completed its acquisition of a majority stake in Shed Media on 14 October.[6] Under the deal, Shed Media will remain an independent company, but its global distribution arm, Outright Distribution, would be folded into the Warner's UK operation. The Shed management team held on to a 21.37% shareholding, with the remaining stake being split between a group of 27 key staff members.

Time Warner acquired 100% of Shed and renamed the group Warner Bros. Television Productions UK in June 2014.[7] As of 2015 the name was completely phased out and all companies got completely integrated with new websites, however Shed Productions and Watershed became defunct with no new websites, little mentioning or integration.

Awards[edit]

Shed Media was nominated for Float of the Year in 2005 and won Deal of the Year 2006 in the Quoted Company Awards for its acquisition of Ricochet. Several of Shed's programmes have won BAFTA, RTS, Rose D'Or and National Television Awards.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Shed Media in talks on takeover". the Guardian. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Time Warner buys Shed Media". the Guardian. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Shed Media falls to Time Warner for £100m". The Independent. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Eileen Gallagher on the success of television production company Shed Media". www.telegraph.co.uk. 3 March 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Time Warner to acquire Shed Media". Digital Spy. 5 August 2010.
  6. ^ "Warner Bros completes Shed Media deal". Digital Spy. 14 October 2010.
  7. ^ Team, The Deadline (18 June 2014). "Warner Bros Rebranding UK-Based Television Prod Operation".
  8. ^ "Awards". Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2023.

External links[edit]