BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, said Thursday it has taken a 51 percent stake in British TV drama and film company Sid Gentle Films.
The agreement, financial terms of which weren’t disclosed, follows a successful distribution relationship between the two companies and includes an option for a phased increase in ownership in the coming years.
Sid Gentle was founded by CEO Sally Woodward Gentle in 2013 along with Lee Morris and Henrietta Colvin with a focus to develop and produce innovative, original and ambitious television drama and feature films.
The company has worked on such shows as SS-GB, Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories and the soon to be released Killing Eve for BBC America. Woodward Gentle previously worked on such series as Whitechapel and Cambridge Spies.
Said Woodward Gentle: “We couldn’t be more delighted to be joining forces with BBC Worldwide. Their respect for our independence coupled with their extraordinary industry links and sales ability is really exciting. Sid has built a reputation working with extraordinary talent and developing projects we believe in and it is very exciting to further our ambitions to create and deliver impactful drama.”
Helen Jackson, BBC Worldwide’s outgoing managing director of content, said: “We have enjoyed working with Sally and her team immensely over the past three years, and this is a great opportunity to build on our partnership. Sid Gentle has already delivered several much-loved dramas, and we are super excited by what we have seen so far of their latest — Killing Eve. They represent perfectly the creative vibrancy that is British drama right now.”
