STV buys into Patrick Melrose producer

Patrick Melrose STV Productions has acquired a minority equity stake in Two Cities Television, the drama production company that made Patrick Melrose starring Benedict Cumberbatch. 

The deal also gives STV the chance to increase its initial 25% stake to a majority interest over the next three years. 

Two Cities was founded in 2016 by seasoned industry names Michael Jackson and Stephen Wright, with offices in London and Northern Ireland.

The company has some weighty projects on its development slate, including an adaptation for the BBC of David Burke’s book The Spy Who Came In From The Co-Op: Melita Norwood and the Ending of Cold War Espionage. 

It is also developing a series based on Michael Wolff’s book, Fire and Fury, that takes a look behind the scenes of Donald Trump’s White House. 

BBC Studios, an original investor in Two Cities Television, will no longer have an interest as part of the deal. 

Michael Jackson, executive chairman, Two Cities Television, and Stephen Wright, creative director, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Simon Pitts, David Mortimer and his team at STV Productions, a business that feels totally in tune with our own, and one that can very much help accelerate our growth strategy, focusing on nations drama production.”

Photo:Sky Atlantic. 



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