Ex-Granada Exec Sets Up New Venture

LONDON, May 10: Andy Harries, the outgoing controller of
drama, comedy and film at ITV Productions/Granada, is setting up Left Bank
Pictures this July, with BBC Worldwide taking a 25-percent stake in the new
venture.

Helen Jackson, BBC
Worldwide’s director of independents, will take a seat on the Left Bank
Pictures board. The investment will also give BBC Worldwide an exclusive
first-look distribution deal on all of Left Bank Pictures’ television
productions. Projects in development include a range of TV films and
mini-series for broadcasters both in the U.K. and worldwide and theatrical
releases in conjunction with international film partners. Harries notes: “Our
emphasis will be firmly on the top end of the market, focusing on intelligent
scripts for the international marketplace.”

Harries is the
majority stakeholder and managing director of Left Bank Pictures, and he will
oversee the company’s growth with a team that includes Jenny Borgars as head of
film; former Channel 4 drama commissioning editor Francis Hopkinson as head of
television; and ex-Granada/ITV production chief Marigo Kehoe as head of
production. Also joining the company from Granada Productions are Jenna Jones
as development executive and Kerry Gill Pryde as researcher.