Talkback is a British television

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 ...

established in 1981 by comedy duo

Mel Smith Melvyn Kenneth Smith (3 December 1952 – 19 July 2013) was an English comedian, actor and director. Smith worked on the sketch comedy shows ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' and ''Alas Smith and Jones'' with his comedy partner, Griff Rhys Jones. ...

and

Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...

History

Talkback was sold to

Pearson Television Pearson Television was the British-based television production and distribution arm of a British company Pearson PLC. History In 1994 after a bidding war, Pearson PLC bought the former British ITV franchisee Thames Television. Then in 1995 i ...

in 2000. The company merged with

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

in 2003 and the combined entity was renamed

Talkback Thames Talkback Thames (stylised as talkbackTHAMES) was a British television production company, a division of Fremantle (part of the RTL Group, which in turn is owned by Bertelsmann). It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames ...

. On 23 November 2011, it was announced that

would split into four separate production companies; ''Boundless'', ''Retort'', ''Talkback'' and ''

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

''. The split took effect on 1 January 2012. On 2 September 2018, FremantleMedia UK was renamed to simply Fremantle UK. The rebranding of the many production divisions from the company soon followed with Talkback receiving the new logo after six-and-a-half years of the old one, which was inspired by the original design from 1984 since its launch whilst retaining the green colour the company has been associated with since 2003, when it merged with Thames to form Talkback Thames. It was designed in-house.

Productions

* ''

Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow ''Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow'' is a British game show which premiered 30 May 2020 on ITV. Hosted by Alan Carr, the series features reworked and "supersized" versions of past ITV game shows (primarily from the Fremantle Fremantle () () is a ...

'' ( ITV, 2020–present) * ''

Alas Smith and Jones ''Alas Smith and Jones'' is a British comedy sketch television series starring comedy duo and namesake Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that originally ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as ''Smit ...

'' (

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

& BBC Two, 1991–1998; Sketchbook: BBC One, 2006) * ''

Bernard and the Genie ''Bernard and the Genie'' is a 1991 British fantasy comedy-drama television film directed by Paul Weiland and written by Richard Curtis. Co-produced by Attaboy and Talkback for BBC Television, the film was first shown on BBC1 on 23 December 1 ...

'' (BBC One, 1991) * ''

Big Train ''Big Train'' is a British television sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan. The first series was broadcast on BBC Two in 1998, while the second, in which Linehan was not involved, aired in 2002. Overview The series starre ...

'' (BBC Two, 1998–2002) * ''

Bonjour la Classe ''Bonjour la Classe'' is a British television comedy series which was broadcast on BBC1 in the beginning of 1993. Created and written by Paul Smith and Terry Kyan, the series centred on Laurence Didcott, a new teacher of French at the fictional ...

'' (BBC One, 1993) * ''

Brass Eye ''Brass Eye'' is a British satirical television series parodying current affairs news programming. A series of six episodes aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001. The series was created and presented by Chris Morris, written ...

'' (Channel 4, 1997–2001) * '' Celebrity Juice'' ( ITV2, 2008–2022) * ''

Da Ali G Show ''Da Ali G Show'' is a British satirical television series created by and starring English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. In the series, Baron Cohen plays three unorthodox journalists: faux-streetwise poseur Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev, ...

'' (Channel 4, 2000–2004; HBO, 2003–2004) * '' Demob'' (ITV, 1993) * ''

Distraction Distraction is the process of diverting the attention of an individual or group from a desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information. Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to pay attentio ...

'' (Channel 4, 2003–2004) * '' Friends and Crocodiles'' (BBC One, 2006) * '' Gash'' (Channel 4, 2003) * ''

Gideon's Daughter ''Gideon's Daughter'' is the second of two linked BBC television dramas written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. Produced independently for the BBC by Talkback Thames and starring Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson, and Emily Blunt, it aired i ...

'' (BBC One, 2006) * ''

Green Wing ''Green Wing'' is a British sitcom set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital. It was created by the same team behind the sketch show '' Smack the Pony'' – Channel 4 commissioner Caroline Leddy and producer Victoria Pile – and stars Mark H ...

'' (Channel 4, 2004–2007) * '' Hippies'' (BBC Two, 1999) * ''

House Doctor ''House Doctor'' is a television programme, originally broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK. Each week, the House Doctor – Californian real-estate stylist, Ann Maurice – helps UK home-owners sell their houses with her industry know-how and sty ...

'' ( Channel 5, 1998–2003) * '' I'm Alan Partridge'' (BBC Two, 1997–2002) * '' In A Land Of Plenty'' (BBC Two, 2000) * ''

Jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

'' (Channel 4, 2000) * ''

Jamie's Kitchen ''Jamie's Kitchen'' is a five-part British documentary television series that aired on Channel 4 from 5 November to 10 December 2002. It follows chef Jamie Oliver as he attempts to train a group of 15 disadvantaged youth, who will—if they comp ...

'' (Channel 4, 2002) * ''

Keith Lemon's LemonAid ''Keith Lemon's LemonAid'' is a British television entertainment series hosted by comedian Leigh Francis as his character Keith Lemon. It aired on ITV from 7 April to 19 May 2012. Each week, with the help of a celebrity guest, Lemon makes p ...

'' (ITV, 2012) * '' Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge'' (BBC Two, 1994–1995) * '' Lemon La Vida Loca'' (ITV2, 2012–2013) * ''

Look Around You ''Look Around You'' is a comedic parody of British science television shows, devised and written by Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz, and narrated in the first series by Nigel Lambert. The first series of eight 10-minute shorts was shown in ...

'' (BBC Two, 2002–2005) * ''

Los Dos Bros ''Los Dos Bros'' is a British television comedy about two half-brothers (Darren Boyd and Cavan Clerkin) who find themselves in a series of strange situations. They discuss their experiences back to a psychiatrist (Vicki Pepperdine). The series ...

'' (Channel 4, 2001) * ''

Meet Ricky Gervais ''Meet Ricky Gervais'' is a British television comedy talk show written and hosted by Ricky Gervais. It was produced by Talkback for Channel 4 in 2000 and ran for one series on Friday nights. Overview Guests were supposedly interviewed by Gerva ...

'' (Channel 4, 2000) * ''

Monkey Dust ''Monkey Dust'' is a British adult animated satirical sketch comedy series created by Harry Thompson and Shaun Pye. The series is characterized by its dark humour, frequent shifts in animation styles, and handling of taboo topics such as be ...

'' (

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...

, 2003–2005) * ''

Murder Most Horrid ''Murder Most Horrid'' is a British black comedy anthology series starring Dawn French. It was broadcast on BBC Two for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999. Created by Paul Smith, who also co-created ''Colin's Sandwich'' (with Terry ...

'' (BBC Two, 1991–1999) * '' Nathan Barley'' (Channel 4, 2005) * ''

Never Mind the Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hos ...

'' (BBC Two, 1996–2015;

Sky Max Sky Max is a British pay television channel which launched on 1 September 2021 along with Sky Showcase. It is owned and operated by Sky Group, a subsidiary of Comcast. The channel was announced on 28 July 2021 to replace Sky One, which had been ...

, 2021–present) * '' Perfect Strangers'' (BBC Two, 2001) * '' QI'' ( BBC Four, 2003–2008; BBC Two, 2003–2008 & 2011–present; BBC One, 2009–2011) * ''

Shooting the Past ''Shooting the Past'' is a television drama by Stephen Poliakoff, produced by TalkBack Productions for BBC Two and first shown in 1999. It was TalkBack's first drama production, the company being mainly known for its television comedy work. Focu ...

'' (BBC Two, 1999) * ''

Shoreditch Twat The ''Shoreditch Twat'' fanzine was published and edited by club promoter Neil Boorman on behalf of the Shoreditch nightclub 333 between 1999 and 2004. History Starting life as a listings magazine for the club, it quickly grew to become an ir ...

'' (Channel 4, 2002) * ''

Smack the Pony ''Smack the Pony'' is a British sketch comedy show that was originally broadcast between 1999 and 2003 on Channel 4. The main performers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips. There were also regular appearances from ...

'' (Channel 4, 1999–2003) * ''

Sweat the Small Stuff ''Sweat the Small Stuff'' is a British comedy panel show broadcast on BBC Three, presented by Nick Grimshaw and featuring team captains Melvin Odoom and Rochelle Humes. Humes, formerly a regular panellist, replaced Rickie Haywood Williams ...

'' (BBC Three, 2013–2015) * ''

Sword of Honour The ''Sword of Honour'' is a trilogy of novels by Evelyn Waugh which loosely parallel Waugh's experiences during the Second World War. Published by Chapman & Hall from 1952 to 1961, the novels are: ''Men at Arms'' (1952); ''Officers and Gent ...

'' (Channel 4, 2001) * ''

The 11 O'Clock Show ''The 11 O'Clock Show'' is a satirical late-night British television comedy series on Channel 4 which featured topical sketches and commentary on news items. It ran between 30 September 1998 and 8 December 2000, most notably hosted by Iain Lee a ...

'' (

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 ...

, 1998–2000) * ''

The Armando Iannucci Shows ''The Armando Iannucci Shows'' is a series of eight programmes directed by Armando Iannucci and written by Iannucci with Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil. It was shown on UK's Channel 4 from August to October 2001. Each episode focused on specific the ...

'' (Channel 4, 2001) * ''

The Day Today ''The Day Today'' is a British comedy television show that parodies television news and current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994 on BBC2. It was created by Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris and is an adaptation of the radio programme '' ...

'' (BBC Two, 1994) * '' The Keith & Paddy Picture Show'' (ITV, 2017–2018) * ''

The Keith Lemon Sketch Show ''The Keith Lemon Sketch Show'' is a British television impressions/character sketch show that aired on ITV2 from 5 February 2015 until 10 March 2016. It stars Leigh Francis' character Keith Lemon portraying several celebrities. Episodes Ser ...

'' (ITV2, 2015–2016) * ''

The Lost Prince ''The Lost Prince'' is a British television drama about the life of Prince John – youngest child of Britain's King George V and Queen Mary – who died at the age of 13 in 1919. A Talkback Thames production written and directed by Stephe ...

'' (BBC One, 2003) * ''

The Sex Inspectors The Sex Inspectors was a late night UK TV show that focuses on sex therapy for couples facing difficulties with their relationship. The show, presented by Tracey Cox and Michael Alvear, aids couples by suggesting different ways to spice up thei ...

'' (Channel 4, 2004) * ''

They Think It's All Over "They think it's all over" is a quote from Kenneth Wolstenholme's BBC TV commentary in the closing moments of the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, when England beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup. In the final few seco ...

'' (BBC One, 1995–2006) * ''

Through the Keyhole ''Through the Keyhole'' is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter goes around celebrities' houses and ...

'' (ITV, 2013–2019) * '' Too Hot to Handle'' (

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

, 2020–2021) * '' Virtually Famous'' ( E4, 2014–2017) * '' Would Like to Meet'' (BBC Two, 2001–2004) * ''

Your Face or Mine? ''Your Face or Mine?'' is a British comedy game show that originally aired on E4 from September 2002 to May 2003, hosted by Jimmy Carr and June Sarpong. Comedy Central revived the show in 2017 with Carr and Katherine Ryan Katherine Louisa R ...

'' (E4, 2002–2003;

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...

, 2017–2019)

References

External links

* . {{Bertelsmann British companies established in 1981 Performing arts in London Television production companies of the United Kingdom RTL Group

History

Productions

See also

References

External links