Love Productions
Love Productions is a UK-based television production company. Its cooking competition series The Great British Bake Off is among the most watched shows in the UK of its era.[2] As of February 2018, the company's credits include 54 productions.[3]
Industry | Television |
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Genre | Production company |
Founded | 3 September 2004 in United Kingdom |
Founder |
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Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 3 |
Products | |
Parent |
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Website | www |
History
Richard McKerrow and Anna Beattie formed Love Productions in 2004.[1] In 2014 Sky acquired a 70% stake in Love Productions.[4] In 2020, Sky bought the remaining shares making the studio a wholly owned subsidiary, seemingly part of a strategy to build a production empire.[5] The acquisition came on the back of increased dividends for Sky 2019 of £22.7 million compared with £3.5 million in 2018; while two directors received £4.6 million in 2019, up from three directors receiving £1.4 million in 2018.[5]
In 2020 the company's key "Bake off" series of productions has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which is likely to result in a loss of income in 2020/21.[5]
Love Productions is also associated with the brands Love West, based in Bristol, and Love Productions USA.[6]
Productions
The list of programmes produced by Love Productions include:
Programme | Genre | Original network | First broadcast |
---|---|---|---|
Benefits Street | Documentary | Channel 4 | 2014 |
Cirque de Celebrité | Game show | Sky One | 2006 |
Famous, Rich and Hungry | Factual | BBC One | 2014 |
Rich, Famous and in the Slums | Factual | BBC One | 2011 |
Junior Bake Off | Baking | CBBC (2011–2016) Channel 4 (2019–) |
2011 |
Make Bradford British | Documentary | Channel 4 | 2012 |
The Baby Borrowers | Reality television | BBC Three | 2007 |
The Biggest Little Railway in the World | Structured reality | Channel 4 | 2018 |
The Great British Bake Off | Baking | BBC Two (2010–2013) BBC One (2014–2016) Channel 4 (2017–) |
2010 |
The Chronicles of Nadiya | Documentary | BBC One | 2016 |
The Great British Sewing Bee | Sewing | BBC Two | 2013 |
The Great Pottery Throw Down | Pottery | BBC Two (2015–2017) More4 (2020) Channel 4 (2021–) |
2015 |
Tower Block of Commons | Documentary | Channel 4 | 2010 |
Battle of Britain: Model Squadron | Structured reality | Channel 4 | 2018 |
Westside | Reality television | Netflix | 2018 |
Singapore Social | Docuseries | Netflix | 2019 |
Controversies
Love Productions' best earning programme, The Great British Bake Off, had moved network channel from BBC Two to BBC One after three series due to its increasing popularity.[7] Towards the end of series six, Love Productions's profits were decreasing; the company wished to remain on BBC One, however the £75 million asking price for three series was unacceptable to the BBC.[8] Controversy arose as there were concerns the nature of the show would change with the move to Channel 4 and because most of the show's presenters did not make the move for the following series.[8][2]
References
- "Bristol's Love Productions, firm behind The Great British Bake-off, strikes multi-million Sky deal". SouthWestBusiness. 22 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- "Great British Bake Off final was the UK's most watched TV show since 2012". 7 November 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- Love Productions at IMDb
- "Sky buys 70% stake in Bake Off firm". 21 July 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- Kanter, Jake (7 July 2020). "Sky Takes Full Control Of 'The Great British Bake Off' Maker Love Productions".
- ""Contact Us"". "Love Productions". Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- Sweney, Mark (16 October 2013). "BBC2 controller laments losing the Great British Bake Off to BBC1". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- Steafel, Elanor (4 August 2017). "5 things we learnt from the new Great British Bake Off trailer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2017.