Carnival Films

Carnival Film & Television Limited
Carnival Films
Formerly
  • Batway Limited (1978–1979)
  • Picture Partnership Productions Limited (1979–1990)
  • Carnival (Films and Theatre) Limited (1990–2007)
  • Carnival Film and Television Limited (Feb–Aug 2007)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryTelevision Production
FoundedNovember 3, 1978; 46 years ago (1978-11-03)
Founder
Key people
Products
  • Motion pictures
  • Television programmes
ParentUniversal International Studios
Websitecarnivalfilms.co.uk

Carnival Film & Television Limited,[1][2] trading as Carnival Films, is a British production company based in London, UK, founded in 1978. It has produced television series for all the major UK networks including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Sky, as well as international broadcasters including PBS, A&E, HBO and NBC. 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.

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 starring David Suchet and 22 episodes of Rosemary & Thyme, starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris. In the action/adventure genre it produced BUGS, Oktober and The Grid, in comedy drama it produced Jeeves and Wooster starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, teenage drama-comedy As If, as well as the adaptations of Tom Sharpe's novels Blott on the Landscape and Porterhouse Blue.

In 2004, the BBC's former Head of Drama Commissioning Gareth Neame joined Carnival as managing director.[3] 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.

In 2007 Australian production company Southern Star acquired 75% percent of Carnival Films but by 2008 the company was acquired by American-based NBCUniversal as part of its plan to increase its presence in content creation outside the United States.[4] 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.[5][6]

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; Page Eight starring Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon and Ralph Fiennes; four-part drama Any Human Heart starring Jim Broadbent, Matthew MacFadyen, Hayley Atwell and Kim Cattrall; The Hollow Crown, a BBC adaptation of Shakespeare's history plays starring Tom Hiddleston, Ben Whishaw and Jeremy Irons; The Last Weekend, a three-part adaptation of Blake Morrison's novel; Whitechapel for ITV; Jamestown and Stan Lee's Lucky Man for Sky One; The Last Kingdom for BBC One and Netflix; Belgravia for ITV1 and Epix; Belgravia: The Next Chapter for MGM+; and The Day Of The Jackal starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch for Sky and Peacock. Carnival are also producing upcoming dramas Lockerbie: A Search For Truth starring Colin Firth and All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook.

Carnival's biggest hit, both critically and commercially, is Downton Abbey, written and co-produced by Julian Fellowes.[7] 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 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. A third film was announced in May 2024, and will be released in September 2025. [8]

Productions

Television

Past

2006-2024 (as Carnival Film and Television Ltd.)
1989–2005 (as Carnival Film and Theatre Ltd.)
  • The Grid: Mini series (2004) for BBC and TNT – total 2 episodes
  • Agatha Christie's Poirot: (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: 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
  • Jeeves and Wooster: 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.)
  • Porterhouse Blue: Mini Series (1987) for Channel 4 – total 4 episodes
  • Blott on the Landscape: Mini Series (1985) for BBC – total 6 episodes
  • Father's Day: two series (1983–1984) – total 14 episodes

Films

1978–1988 (as Picture Partnership Productions Ltd.)

Stage

Past

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,[17] and the Broadcast Awards 2012.[18] In addition Carnival's productions have together been awarded nine Primetime Emmy Awards;[19] one Golden Globe;[20] nineteen BAFTAs;[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] one Screen Actors Guild Award;[29] a Producers Guild of America Award;[30] two National Television Award;[31] three International Emmy Awards;[32] five RTS awards;[33][34][35] four BANFF Rockie Awards;[36] three Ivor Novello Awards;[37] two Broadcast awards;[18] a Bulldog award; an Evening Standard Theatre Award; and a Tony.[38]

Further to this success the company's productions have also received nominations from such varied awards bodies as the Academy Awards,[39] the Laurence Olivier Awards, The Monte Carlo International Television Festival,[40] The Screen Actors Guild,[41] The American Society of Cinematographers,[42] The Edgar Allan Poe Awards,[43] The Rose D’Or[44] and The San Sebastian Film Festival.[45]

References

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  10. ^ "- Greenlights – Greenlight". greenlight.broadcastnow.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Cry Wolf: Review". Screen International. No. 237. London. 19 April 1980. p. 67.
  12. ^ "Production of Juno and the Paycock – Theatricalia". theatricalia.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  13. ^ "doollee.com – the playwrights database of modern plays". Doollee.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  14. ^ Taylor, Paul (2 December 1992). "THEATRE / Out of steam: Paul Taylor sees The Ghost Train rolling on at the Lyric, Hammersmith". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
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  18. ^ a b "Broadcast Awards 2012". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Outstanding Miniseries or Movie - 2011". Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  20. ^ "HFPA - Nominations and Winners". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  21. ^ "BAFTA Awards". Bafta.org. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
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  27. ^ "BAFTA Awards". Bafta.org. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  28. ^ "BAFTA Awards". Bafta.org. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  29. ^ Bowie-Sell, Daisy (28 January 2013). "SAG 2013: Downton Abbey takes top prize at Screen Actors Guild Awards". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  30. ^ "PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2012 PRODUCERS GUILD AWARD WINNERS – Producers Guild of America". Producersguild.org. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  31. ^ "Winners – National Television Awards". Nationaltvawards.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  32. ^ "Awards – Previous Winners – International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Iemmys.tv. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  33. ^ "RTS ANNOUNCES WINNERS FOR CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2012/2013 | Royal Television Society". Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  34. ^ "RTS Programme Awards 2010 | Royal Television Society". Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  35. ^ "Craft and Design / Winners | Royal Television Society". Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  36. ^ "Drama and Entertainment Nominees - Banff World Media Festival, June 1…". Archived from the original on 20 July 2012.
  37. ^ "BBC News – Entertainment – Cher up for Novello prize". 6 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  38. ^ "1991 Tony Award Winners". 2.broadwayworld.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  39. ^ "Shadowlands (1993)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2011. Archived from the original on 18 April 2011.
  40. ^ "ITV commissions Downton Abbey series three". Archived from the original on 23 January 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  41. ^ "Nominations Announced for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® | Screen Actors Guild Awards". Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  42. ^ "The ASC". Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  43. ^ "Nominees for the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Awards" (PDF). Theedgars.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  44. ^ "Rose d'Or - Wettbewerbskategorien". Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  45. ^ "1997. 45th Edition". Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.