E1 Entertainment and Company Pictures join forces on 'Skins'
01 December 2009
· PILOT GREENLIT BY MTV
· OPEN CASTING CALL START NOVEMBER IN NYC AND TORONTO
London/Toronto –December 1, 2009 –Prolific UK-based Company Pictures and leading independent studio E1 Entertainment have teamed up to co-produce a pilot for Skins . Based on the award-winning UK hit television series, the presentation pilothas been greenlit by MTV U.S.
Created Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain (and co-produced through Elsley’s production company, Stormdog and Company Pictures), Skins debuted in the UK in 2007 on Channel 4, and became an immediate sensation. This critically acclaimed, edgy teen drama follows the lives of a group of charismatic, but troubled, teens as they lurch towards adulthood. Elsley is on board to write the
Skins pilot script and will serve as showrunner for the series.
Skins marks the first collaboration between Company Pictures and E1 Entertainment.
Charlie Pattinson says: “Skins is an important project for us and we are delighted to be working with E1. Their passion for quality television and for Skins make them a perfect partner for Company Pictures.”
Laszlo Barna, President of E1 Television added “Skins is a dream project for us and Company Pictures is the perfect partner for our first scripted UK co-production. Company Pictures have the ability to produce television that is both intelligent and popular – a skill we whole-heartedly admire.”
Skins UK Season 4 is set to air January 2010. SkinsUSA begins production February 2010.
John Morayniss, CEO of E1 Television, says “This co-production is an integral part of E1’s long-term strategy to develop our profile on the UK production scene. It’s our intention to actively pursue more of these high-profile projects which can then be produced within the framework of a Canada-UK co-production.”
E1 and Company Pictures will produce the pilot based on the series created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain for Company Pictures. Executive producers are Charlie Pattinson and George Faber with the pilot written by Elsley. John Morayniss and Laszlo Barna serve as executive producers for E1.
E1 is set to handle all Canadian rights in Canada, and will also handle DVD/Digital rights in Benelux, Scandinavia, Australia and South Africa as part of E1stated multi-territory content distribution strategy.
All3Media International handles all other international distribution.
E1 Entertainment is building worldwide recognition as one of the industry’s foremost creators, producers and international distributors of quality entertainment in all genres. The studio has the ability to attract an impressive roster of in-demand creative partners, top networks and specialty broadcasters. E1 most recently announced a partnership with Stephen King to produce and distribute the television series Haven, based on the author’s novella, The Colorado Kid. E1 recently completed a deal with Universal Networks International to provide content in support of their revitalized channel portfolio launch. E1 continues to make significant inroads with major broadcasters in the US and around the world with high-profile series such as Hung for HBO, The Bridge for CBS and CTV and Copper for ABC and Canwest.
Company Pictures is one of the UK's largest independent television drama and film production companies. Established in 1998 highlights include Generation Kill (HBO: 11 Emmy nominations), Skins (E4: BAFTA Audience Award, Best Drama Series at the Broadcast Awards), Shameless (Channel 4: winner Best Series at the Baftas, Broadcast Awards, The Indie Awards and RTS Awards), Elizabeth 1 (Channel 4 and HBO: nine Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and a Peabody Award), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (HBO: two Golden Globe Awards) and The Devil’s Whore (Channel 4: RTS award for Best Drama Serial).
This year Company Pictures is producing further series of Wild At Heart, Shameless and Skins. New shows include a four part serial for BBC1 called The Silence, and the second Martina Cole adaptation The Runaway for SkyOne.
Amongst its numerous awards Company Pictures has won Best Independent Production Company at the Broadcast awards in 2004 and 2008, European Producers of the Year Award at the 2004 Monte Carlo Awards.
Since October 2004 Company Pictures has been a part of the All3 Media group.
For more information:
Pam Wilson Lisa Wookey
Ink Media Corporation E1 Entertainment
Tel: 818 655 6010 Cell: 310 849 7303 Tel: 416 646 2400 x 326
pam.wilson@inkmediacorp.com lwookey@e1ent.com
About E1 Entertainment
E1 Entertainment (AIM: ETO) is a leading independent entertainment content owner that acquires film, television and music rights and exploits these rights in all media in more than 190 countries.
The company currently operates in Canada, the U.S., the UK, Holland and Belgium through its four primary businesses units: E1 Television, E1 Films, E1 Music and E1 Distribution. These businesses collectively represent E1’s extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production/distribution, kids’ content, licensing and distribution.
E1’s content library includes more than 3,700 feature films, 2,700 hours of original television programming and 15,000 music tracks.