Carnival Films is a British

production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and v ...

based in London, UK, founded in 1978. It has produced television series for all the major UK networks including the BBC, ITV,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

, and Sky, as well as international broadcasters including PBS, A&E, HBO and

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. Productions include single dramas, long-running television dramas, feature films, and stage productions.

History

Carnival Films was founded in 1978 by feature film producer

Brian Eastman Brian Eastman (born 3 September 1949, Brighton, UK) is a producer of feature films (such as ''Shadowlands'' and '' Under Suspicion''), television drama (such as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'' and ''Jeeves and Wooster''), and stage productions (such a ...

. As of 2014, Carnival has produced over 500 hours of drama and comedy for television, cinema and stage. This included 70 episodes of ''

Agatha Christie's Poirot ''Poirot'' (also known as ''Agatha Christie's Poirot'') is a British mystery drama television programme that aired on ITV from 8 January 1989 to 13 November 2013. David Suchet starred as the eponymous detective, Agatha Christie's fictional Her ...

'' starring

David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppen ...

and 22 episodes of ''

Rosemary & Thyme ''Rosemary & Thyme'' is a British television cosy mystery thriller series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme. The show began on ITV in 2003. The third series ended in August 2007. ...

'', starring Felicity Kendal and

Pam Ferris Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including ''Connie'' (1985), '' The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), '' Where the Heart Is'' (1997–2000), '' Rosemary & Thyme'' ...

. In the action/adventure genre it produced '' BUGS'', ''Oktober'' and '' The Grid'', in comedy drama it produced ''

Jeeves and Wooster ''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy-drama television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a Britis ...

'' starring

Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician. He first gained recognition for his work as one half of the comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. The two men acted together in ...

and

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

, teenage drama-comedy '' As If'', as well as the adaptations of Tom Sharpe's novels ''

Blott on the Landscape ''Blott on the Landscape'' is a novel by Tom Sharpe which was first published in 1975. The book was adapted into a 6-part television series of the same name for BBC television in 1985. Plot The story revolves around the proposed construction o ...

'' and ''

Porterhouse Blue ''Porterhouse Blue'' is a novel written by Tom Sharpe, first published in 1974. A satirical look at Cambridge life and the struggle between tradition and reform, ''Porterhouse Blue'' tells the story of Skullion, the Head Porter of Porterhouse, ...

''. In 2004, the BBC's former Head of Drama Commissioning

Gareth Neame Gareth Elwin Neame (born 8 March 1967) is a British television producer and executive. As an executive at the BBC, Neame presided over the development of the dramas '' Spooks'', '' State of Play'', '' Bodies'', '' Hustle'', ''New Tricks'' and ' ...

joined Carnival as managing director. In 2007, former Creative Director of BBC Drama Sally Woodward Gentle joined the company as Creative Director. The two had previously worked together on '' Spooks'' (MI:5), '' Tipping the Velvet'' and ''

Cambridge Spies ''Cambridge Spies'' is a four-part British drama miniseries written by Peter Moffat and directed by Tim Fywell, that was first broadcast on BBC Two in May 2003 and is based on the true story of four brilliant young men at the University of Cambr ...

''. In 2008, Carnival was acquired by

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primar ...

as part of its plan to increase its presence in content creation outside the United States. Following several more acquisitions Carnival is now part of NBCUniversal International Television Production alongside newer additions Monkey Kingdom, Working Title Television, Chocolate Media and Lucky Giant in the UK, Lark in Canada and Matchbox Pictures in Australia. Under the direction of Gareth Neame, Carnival has produced series such as; '' The Philanthropist'' for NBC; hit BBC series '' Hotel Babylon''; the television films '' Enid'' starring Helena Bonham Carter and

Matthew Macfadyen David Matthew Macfadyen (; born 17 October 1974) is an English actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained prominence for his role as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright's ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005). He currently stars as Tom Wambsgan ...

; ''

Page Eight ''Page Eight'' is a 2011 British political thriller, written and directed for the BBC by the British dramatist David Hare, his first film as director since the 1989 film '' Strapless''. The cast includes Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gamb ...

'' starring

Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with '' The Illuminatus!'' in 1977. There he ...

Rachel Weisz Rachel Hannah Weisz (; born 7 March 1970 ) is an English actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a BAFTA Award. Weisz began acting in British stage and television in the ...

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon (; born 19 October 1940) is an Irish-English actor. Regarded as one of Ireland and Britain's most distinguished actors, he is known for his work on stage and screen. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivi ...

and

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shak ...

; four-part drama '' Any Human Heart'' starring

Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film '' Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for ...

Matthew MacFadyen David Matthew Macfadyen (; born 17 October 1974) is an English actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained prominence for his role as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright's ''Pride & Prejudice'' (2005). He currently stars as Tom Wambsgan ...

Hayley Atwell Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...

and Kim Cattrall; ''

The Hollow Crown ''The Hollow Crown'' may refer to: * a passage in Shakespeare's play ''Richard II'' * ''The Hollow Crown'' (anthology), a 1961 work by John Barton * ''The Hollow Crown'' (TV series), a BBC adaptation of Shakespeare plays * ''Hollow Crown '' ...

'', a BBC adaptation of Shakespeare's history plays starring

Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with ''Thor'' in 2011 and most recently in the Disney+ series ''Loki'' in 2021 ...

Ben Whishaw Benjamin John Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor and producer. After winning a British Independent Film Award for his performance in ''My Brother Tom'' (2001), he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the titl ...

and

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

; '' The Last Weekend'', a three-part adaptation of

Blake Morrison Philip Blake Morrison FRSL (born 8 October 1950) is an English poet and author who has published in a wide range of fiction and non-fiction genres. His greatest success came with the publication of his memoirs ''And When Did You Last See Your Fat ...

's novel; and ''

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed ...

'' for ITV. Carnival's biggest hit, both critically and commercially, is ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...

'', written and co-produced by Julian Fellowes. The final episode of the TV series aired on 25 December 2015. In 2016, Neame and Fellowes started planning a feature adaptation; it was officially confirmed in July 2018 and filming began later that month. ''

Downton Abbey (film) ''Downton Abbey'' is a 2019 British historical drama film written by Julian Fellowes, series creator and writer of the television series of the same name, and directed by Michael Engler. The film is produced by Carnival Films and Perfect Worl ...

'' was released in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2019 by Universal Pictures, and in the United States on 20 September 2019 by Focus Features. It received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $194 million worldwide. The sequel, '' Downton Abbey: A New Era'', was released in the United Kingdom on 29 April 2022, and in the United States on 20 May 2022.

Productions

Television

Current

:*'' The Last Kingdom''

Past

;2006–present (as Carnival Film and Television Ltd.) :*''

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a danger ...

'' (2020) One series for ITV1 / Epix – total 6 episodes :*''

Stan Lee's Lucky Man ''Stan Lee's Lucky Man'' is a British crime drama television series, produced by Carnival Films and POW! Entertainment for Sky 1, which follows the story of Murder Squad detective Harry Clayton (James Nesbitt), who is granted the power to con ...

'' (2016–2019) Three series for Sky One – total 28 episodes :*''

'' (2012–2016) 8 episodes for BBC Two :*'' Jamestown'' (2017–2019 ) Three series for Sky One – total 24 episodes :*''

'' (2010–2015) Six series for ITV1 – total 52 episodes :*''

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies ''The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies'' is a 2014 British television film. It tells the real-life story of retired schoolteacher Christopher Jefferies, who was questioned by police as a suspect in the murder of Joanna Yeates. He was vilifi ...

'' (2014) Mini Series for ITV1 – total 2 episodes :*''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

'' (2013/2014) One series for Sky Living / NBC – total 10 episodes :*''

Salting the Battlefield ''Salting the Battlefield'' is a 2014 British political thriller television film, written and directed for the BBC by the British writer David Hare. It follows ''Page Eight'', which aired on BBC Two in August 2011 and ''Turks & Caicos'', which ...

'' (2014) Single Drama for BBC Two (Part 3 of The Worricker Trilogy) :*'' Turks & Caicos'' (2014) Single Drama for BBC Two (Part 2 of The Worricker Trilogy) :*''

The 7.39 ''The 7.39'' is a British drama television film that was broadcast in two parts on BBC One on 6 January and 7 January 2014. This romantic drama from Carnival Films was written by David Nicholls. Plot Carl Matthews (David Morrissey) commutes by ...

'' (2014) Mini Series for BBC One – total 2 episodes :*''

'' (2009–2013) Four series for ITV1 – total 18 episodes :*'' Murder on the Home Front'' (2013) Mini Series for ITV1 – total 2 episodes :*'' The Last Weekend'' (2012) Mini Series for ITV1 – total 3 episodes :*''

'' (2011) Single Drama for BBC Two (Part 1 of The Worricker Trilogy) :*'' Any Human Heart'' (2010) Miniseries for Channel 4 – total 4 episodes :*''

Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on November 30, 1984, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears slightly ...

'' (2010) One series for BBC One – total 6 episodes :*'' Enid'' (2009) Single Drama for BBC Four :*'' Hotel Babylon'' (2006–2009) Four series for BBC One – total 32 episodes :*'' The Philanthropist'' (2009) One series for NBC – total 8 episodes :*''

Harley Street Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.

'' (2008) One series for ITV1 – total 6 episodes :*'' Midnight Man'' (2008) Mini Series for ITV1 – total 3 episodes :*'' The Old Curiosity Shop'' (2007) Single Drama for ITV1/WGBH :*'' Christmas at the Riviera'' (2007) Single Drama for ITV1 :*''Empathy'' (2007) Single Drama for BBC One :*'' Sea of Souls: The Prayer Tree'' (2007) Mini Series for BBC One – total 2 episodes :*'' The Whistleblowers'' (2007) One series for ITV1 – total 6 episodes :*''

'' (2003–2006) Three series for ITV1 – total 22 episodes :;1989–2005 (as Carnival Film and Theatre Ltd.) :*'' The Grid'': Mini series (2004) for BBC and TNT – total 2 episodes :*''

'': (1989–2004) for ITV1 – total 53 episodes :*'' As If'': four series (2001–2004) for Channel 4 – total 60 episodes :* ''As If'' (US): one series (2002) for UPN – total 7 episodes :*'' The 10th Kingdom: Mini Series (2000) for NBC – total 9 episodes :*'' Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married'': two series (1999–2000) for ITV1 – total 16 episodes :*''Oktober'': Mini Series (1998) for ITV1 – total three episodes :*'' BUGS'': four series (1995–1998) for BBC One – total 40 episodes :*''

Crime Traveller ''Crime Traveller'' is a 1997 science fiction detective television series produced by Carnival Films for the BBC based on the premise of using time travel for the purpose of solving crimes. Anthony Horowitz created the series and wrote every ep ...

'': one series (1997) for BBC One – total 8 episodes :*''The Mill on the Floss'': TV Film (1997) for BBCOne/WGBH/Canal Plus :*'' The Fragile Heart'': Mini Series (1996) for Channel 4 – total 3 episodes :*'' The Infiltrator'': TV Film (1995) for HBO :*'' Anna Lee'': one series (1994) for ITV – total 5 episodes :*''

'': four series (1990–1993) for Granada/ ITV – total 23 episodes :*''All or Nothing at All'': Mini Series (1993) for LWT/ ITV – total 3 episodes :*'' Head over Heels'': one series (1993) for Carlton/ITV – total 7 episodes :*''The Big Battalions'': Mini Series (1992) for Channel 4 – total 5 episodes :*'' Traffik'': TV Film (1989) for Channel 4 :*'' Forever Green'': two series (1989–1992) for LWT/ ITV – total 18 episodes : :;1978–1988 (as Picture Partnership Productions Ltd.) :*''

'': Mini Series (1987) for Channel 4 – total 4 episodes :*''

'': Mini Series (1985) for BBC – total 6 episodes :*''Father's Day'': two series (1983–1984) – total 14 episodes

Film

:*'' Downton Abbey: A New Era'' (2022) :*''

'' (2019) :*'' Firelight'' (1997) :*'' Up on the Roof'' (1997) :*'' Shadowlands'' (1993) :*'' Under Suspicion'' (1991) :*'' Wilt'' (1990) :;1978–1988 (as Picture Partnership Productions Ltd.) :*'' Whoops Apocalypse!'' (1988) :*''Cry Wolf'' (1980)

Stage

Past

:*''

Juno and the Paycock ''Juno and the Paycock'' is a play by Seán O'Casey. Highly regarded and often performed in Ireland, it was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924. It is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the ...

'' (1993) Albery Theatre, London :*''How Was It for You?'' Theatre Royal, Plymouth :*''Map of the Heart'' (1991) Globe Theatre, London :*'' The Ghost Train'' (1992) Lyric Theatre, London :*''What a Performance'' (1994) Queens Theatre, London :*'' Misery'' (1992) Criterion Theatre, London :*'' Shadowlands'' (1990) Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York :*'' Up on the Roof'' (1987)

Awards

Carnival Films has won a wide variety of awards for its work on Television, Film and Stage productions. With the company itself winning the 'Best Independent Production Company' award at both the Televisual Magazine Bulldog Awards 2011, and the Broadcast Awards 2012. In addition Carnival's productions have together been awarded nine Primetime Emmy Awards; one Golden Globe; nineteen BAFTAs; one Screen Actors Guild Award; a Producers Guild of America Award; two National Television Award; three International Emmy Awards; five RTS awards; four BANFF Rockie Awards; three Ivor Novello Awards; two Broadcast awards; a Bulldog award; an Evening Standard Theatre Award; and a Tony. Further to this success the company's productions have also received nominations from such varied awards bodies as the Academy Awards, the Laurence Olivier Awards, The Monte Carlo International Television Festival, The Screen Actors Guild, The American Society of Cinematographers, The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, The Rose D’Or and The San Sebastian Film Festival.

References

External links

* {{NBCUniversal Mass media companies established in 1978 NBCUniversal Television production companies of the United Kingdom British companies established in 1978 2008 mergers and acquisitions British subsidiaries of foreign companies Mass media companies based in London