Talkback & Thames To Merge Once Again
Storied UK labels Talkback and Thames are merging once again. Around six roles will be impacted, we understand.
Deadline revealed last year that plans were in place from super-indie owner Fremantle to bring the two together under a restructure that has now been rubberstamped with the exit of Talkback boss Jonno Richards.
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The new TalkbackThames outfit will be led by current Thames MD Charlie Irwin. Fremantle said it will create a “single entertainment super-label.” Between them, the two produce the likes of Britain’s Got Talent, Too Hot to Handle, Blankety Blank, Family Fortunes, QI and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Upcoming shows include Netflix double Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls and Holly Willoughby, and Battle Camp.
In an internal email to staff sent out this afternoon, seen by Deadline, Fremantle UK CEO Amelia Brown said “whilst this is a positive move for the company, I do understand that with any change there will be feelings of uncertainty as we look at the current structure and how the new super-label will look.”
Impacted staff, of which there are around half a dozen, have already been told, Brown added.
In her press release statement, Brown said: “Thames and Talkback have enjoyed a strong partnership for over twenty years and when combined, they have been instrumental in launching some of the UK’s most iconic shows. Now, as the global unscripted landscape continues to expand, there is no better time to reunite their expertise into a single super-label to harness their combined strength and creativity once again and to form a unified structure and identity recognised internationally across the industry.”
Irwin added: “I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity to lead the new unified label, building on the legacy and success of both Thames and Talkback in creating beloved entertainment, reality and comedy formats.”
Irwin worked on the first series of The X Factor 20 years ago and has worked his way up, working across various UK entertainment juggernauts along the way.
The move comes after a long-gestating plan forged at the start of 2023, which was delayed a couple of times for various reasons. This is the third time Thames has been combined with Talkback. They were first brought together in 2003 before being de-merged a decade on. Another merger then took place in 2017 but was reversed just two years later.
The merger comes amid a flurry of changes at RTL-owned Fremantle. Last week, we revealed vet unscripted sales boss Angela Neillis was exiting, while Cinecittà boss Nicola Maccanico was hired to run Fremantle Italy. U.S. and European scripted operations were also combined under Christian Vesper, with Dante Di Loreto shifting to a producer deal. These moves preceded Deadline revealing that Fremantle was laying off all staff at Nightsleeper producer Euston Films and Mandy Chang’s Undeniable, with the likes of Chang and Kate Harwood exiting.
Fremantle also owns the likes of The Apprentice producer Naked, Normal People outfit Element Pictures and docs maker 72 Films.
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