Talkback Thames UK production company to be split up

Talkback Thames, one of the most famous brand names in British television production, is to disappear as part of a restructure by parent company Fremantle Media UK.

The production giant behind shows such as The Apprentice, Grand Designs and Never Mind the Buzzcocks is to be split up again into the Thames and Talkback production units.

Talkback Thames was created in 2003 after the previously separate companies were united by Fremantle Media, the co-producer of The X Factor that is owned by European broadcaster RTL.

The new structure, first revealed by Broadcast, is part of a revamp being led by Sara Geater, who took over as chief executive of Talkback Thames from Lorraine Heggessey in summer 2010.

Thames will now be responsible for entertainment programmes, led by producer Richard Holloway and backed up by Suzy Lamb as head of Thames Productions and Andrew Llinares as head of Thames/Syco co-productions.

Talkback will focus on comedy entertainment, headed up by Dan Baldwin.

There will also be two new divisions, Retort is to produce scripted comedy and Boundless will oversee factual features and specialist factual.

There will be no department dedicated to drama, although that change was widely expected following the cancellation of flagship programme The Bill by ITV last year.

However, Fremantle Media has developed partnerships with drama producers Projector Productions and Hillbilly TV to sit alongside its in-house labels.

"This new label structure allows us to showcase the amazing talent within our business by enabling us to be even more creative and innovative to better respond to our customers' needs," said Geater in a statement.

'We're committed to developing inspiring entertainment for broadcasters and audiences, and I believe that this structure of labels with big ambitions will ensure we better serve our customers with bespoke propositions that will deliver them the hits of the future."

Talkback was launched in 1981 as the production outfit of Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith, and became a comedy powerhouse in the 1990s, making hit shows such as I'm Alan Partridge, Smack the Pony and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Thames first went on air as a broadcaster in 1968, and has produced various acclaimed shows, including Morecambe and Wise, The Sweeney and Death on the Rock.