Dominic Treadwell-Collins

Dominic Treadwell-Collins
Born	Dominic Charles C.T. Collins (1977-08-26) 26 August 1977 (age 47) Brent, London, England, UK
Nationality	British
Occupation	Television producer

Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977)^[1] is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas Family Affairs and EastEnders, creating the EastEnders spin-off series Kat & Alfie: Redwater and Executive Producing the award-winning A Very English Scandal for the BBC and Amazon. In 2019, he set up his own television company, Happy Prince under ITV Studios.

Early life

Born Dominic Charles C.T. Collins, Treadwell-Collins adapted his mother's maiden as a double-barreled compound surname.^[2]

Treadwell-Collins' father, Michael J. Collins, was an Irishman who emigrated to London from Skibbereen, West Cork, in the mid-1960s.^[3] His mother, Linda (née Treadwell), is a hairdresser from Kilburn. The couple wed in Brent, London in 1975.^[4]

When Treadwell-Collins was in his teens, his father died in a drowning accident on holiday at the family home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.^[4] As a child, Treadwell-Collins had ambitions to work for the BBC. He lived in Radlett, Hertfordshire, near the BBC Elstree Centre, and used to look in through the gates.^[5]

Education

Treadwell-Collins attended Edge Grove School (an independent school in Aldenham, Hertfordshire), followed by Harrow School and the University of Oxford.^[4]

Career

Early work

Treadwell-Collins' first job in television was for the ITV crime drama series Midsomer Murders, devising means of killing off characters.^[5] He moved to Talkback Thames for four years,^[6] working as a story producer on the Five soap opera Family Affairs, where he was taught to storyline by Ian Aldwinckle.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, he named the show winning the 2005 British Soap Award for "Best Storyline" the biggest achievement of his career.^[5] Family Affairs was cancelled in 2005, which surprised Treadwell-Collins, who had expected that several award wins meant the show would be extended. He felt that viewers remained "incredibly loyal" to the series, and that it would have had greater longevity had it aired on a different channel, or been better publicised by Five.^[7]

EastEnders

Treadwell-Collins began working on the BBC soap opera EastEnders in October 2005,^[6] as a senior story editor under Brigie de Courcy, before becoming story producer in January 2007.^[5] He was responsible for running the EastEnders story department, working with the show's writers to devise future storylines.^[5]

In his first year on the show, he created the characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, played by Samantha Womack and Rita Simons.^[8] In response to criticism of the show's lack of characters with disabilities, EastEnders producers planned to introduce several actors with disabilities in early 2009. Treadwell-Collins felt such characters are often portrayed as being unduly "noble" or "worthy", and suggested that EastEnders subvert this stereotype by making the new characters flawed.^[9] He created the storyline in which the Muslim character Syed Masood struggled to reconcile his faith and sexuality, and his relationship with Christian Clarke,^[10] as well as "The Secret Mitchell" and the "Who Killed Archie?" whodunnit, which culminated in the show's first live episode in February 2010.^[6]

Treadwell-Collins stood down from his EastEnders role on 25 June 2010, becoming head of development at Kudos' Lovely Day production company. The company is run by former EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer, who commented: "Dominic is a brilliant and original talent, bursting with great ideas and gripping stories. Many of EastEnders' best storylines and characters of the last few years have come directly from his imagination and design, and he played an integral part in conceiving and plotting the hugely successful 25th anniversary episodes. I'm delighted to be resuming our creative partnership at Lovely Day." Treadwell-Collins stated: "I have had an amazing time at EastEnders and I couldn't have dreamed of a better place to work. Working on EastEnders has enabled me to create some fantastic storylines and characters that have been received so well but after four-and-a-half years of life in Walford, I feel that it is time to move on and try something new."^[6]

As executive producer

On 29 July 2013, it was announced that Treadwell-Collins would be returning to EastEnders as executive producer, taking over from Lorraine Newman, who resigned from the role after sixteen months on the job. He assumed the position on 19 August 2013^[11] and his first episode as executive producer aired on 9 December 2013.

His first major cast change was to introduce Shirley Carter's (Linda Henry) extended family, who took over The Queen Vic – her brother (later revealed to be her son) Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), sister Tina (Luisa Bradshaw-White), Mick's common-law wife Linda (Kellie Bright)^[12] and their children Lee (Danny Hatchard), Nancy (Maddy Hill) and Johnny (Sam Strike).^[13]

The family was later expanded to include Shirley and Tina's father Stan Carter (Timothy West), their maternal aunt Babe Smith (Annette Badland)^[14] and their estranged mother Sylvie (Linda Marlowe),^[15] plus Shirley's son Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) who returned to the show after several years.^[16] Other major characters introduced by Treadwell-Collins include Dot Branning's (June Brown) grandson Charlie Cotton (Declan Bennett),^[17] Pam (Lin Blakley) wife of established recurring character Les Coker (Roger Sloman), Donna Yates (Lisa Hammond), Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood) as Kim Fox's husband, Claudette Hubbard (Ellen Thomas) as Vincent's mother and Donna's adoptive Mother, and the Kazemi family - Kush (Davood Ghadami), Carmel (Bonnie Langford) and Shakil Kazemi (Shaheen Jafargholi).^[18]

He reintroduced several characters who had previously featured in the show, including Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy)^[19] Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner), Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), Les Coker (Roger Sloman),^[20] Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton)^[21] Jack Branning (Scott Maslen),^[22] and Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell) who all returned permanently, while the likes of Peggy Mitchell (Dame Barbara Windsor),^[23][24] Nick Cotton (John Altman),^[25] Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook) returning for guest appearances. The characters of Shabnam Masood,^[26] Bex Fowler, Ben Mitchell,^[27] Martin Fowler,^[28] Louise Mitchell,^[29] Jordan Johnson and Belinda Peacock^[30] were also reintroduced, but the roles were recast to Rakhee Thakrar, Jasmine Armfield, Harry Reid, James Bye,^[31] Tilly Keeper,^[32] Joivan Wade^[33] and Carli Norris^[34] respectively.

Treadwell-Collins also created a spin-off for the EastEnders characters Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) set in Ireland called Kat & Alfie: Redwater, which started on BBC One and RTÉ One in May 2017.^[35]

Treadwell-Collins' decision to leave the show was announced on 18 February 2016.^[36] He described his choice as "not one I have taken lightly" and citied his reasons for leaving as wanting to "move on to other things".^[36] His final work on the show saw him produce the conclusion to the Who Killed Lucy Beale? storyline and produce the death of Peggy Mitchell (Dame Barbara Windsor). Of Windsor's request that he produce her exit storyline, Treadwell-Collins said "When Dame Barbara comes to you to produce her final episodes, you cannot say no."^[36] His final day at EastEnders was 6 May 2016.^[37]

Post EastEnders

Treadwell-Collins' new post as Head of Television at Blueprint Television was announced on 7 June 2016.^[38] Treadwell-Collins stated his admiration of films produced by Blueprints and his excitement to "develop their television arm".^[38] The co-chairman of Blueprint Pictures, Graham Broadbent, added that the company were "excited to have someone of his experience and calibre to launch Blueprint's TV side".^[38] Whilst at Blueprint, he developed and produced A Very English Scandal for the BBC and Amazon, starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, written by Russell T Davies and directed by Stephen Frears, winning Golden Globe, Emmy, Critics Choice, Rose D'Or, RTS and BAFTA awards.^{[citation needed]}

He left Blueprint in 2019 to set up his own label, Happy Prince, at ITV Studios.^{[citation needed]} In 2022, he wrote and produced Holding for ITV and Virgin Media, based on the novel by Graham Norton and directed by Kathy Burke.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. "Twitter / dominictc: 36 today. Heading home for..." Twitter.com. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
2. Free UK Genealogy website Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales, number 1167484 VAT registration: 233 0105 70)
3. Treadwell-Collins parents' info, radiotimes.com. Accessed 19 July 2022.
4. "EastEnders' new boss and his star Danny Dyer on the changes coming to Walford". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
5. Oatts, Joanne; Green, Kris (14 October 2007). "All about 'EastEnders' Dominic Treadwell-Collins". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
6. Green, Kris (28 June 2010). "Treadwell-Collins joins Santer's Lovely Day". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
7. Bishop, Tom (30 December 2005). "End of the Affairs for Five soap". BBC News. BBC Online. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
8. Adam Page (director, producer), Mark Cossey (executive producer) (3 April 2009). "EastEnders Revealed: The Secret Mitchell". EastEnders Revealed. Episode 56. BBC. BBC Three.
9. Walker, Tim (14 January 2009). "Boris Johnson opens the floodgates". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
10. Creamer, John (5 May 2021). "Alexander Lamb joins Treadwell-Collins' Happy Prince". Telvisual.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
11. "Twitter / dominictc: Had an amazing three years". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
12. Brown, David (1 October 2013). "EastEnders: Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright to become new Queen Vic landlord and landlady". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
13. Rigby, Sam (29 October 2013). "'EastEnders': First picture of Danny Dyer's Carter family". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
14. "EastEnders casts Timothy West, Annette Badland as new Carters – EastEnders News – Soaps". Digital Spy. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
15. Metro.co.uk, Caroline Westbrook for (2 August 2014). "Sylvie Carter to make EastEnders bow".
16. "EastEnders return for Matt Di Angelo". Digital Spy. 15 January 2014.
17. Kilkelly, Daniel (22 January 2014). "EastEnders casts Dot Branning's grandson Charlie Cotton". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
18. Jefferies, Mark (17 April 2014). "EastEnders: 'Yummy mummy' actress Anna Acton cast as leading police officer in Lucy Beale murder case". Daily Mirror.
19. Kilkelly, Daniel (15 October 2013). "'EastEnders' confirms Sonia Fowler return". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
20. Brown, David. "'EastEnders':Lacey Turner to return as Stacey Branning in the new year". Radio Times. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
21. "EastEnders: Jane makes surprise return". Digital Spy. 6 January 2014.
22. "EastEnders: Scott Maslen makes surprise return as Jack Branning".
23. "EastEnders airs surprise Peggy return". Digital Spy. 25 September 2014.
24. Harp, Justin (8 December 2014). "Barbara Windsor returning to EastEnders". Digital Spy.
25. Kilkelly, Daniel (29 July 2014). "EastEnders: John Altman returning to show as Nick Cotton". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
26. Drewett, Meg. "'EastEnders': Shabnam Masood returning to soap, role recast". Digital Spy. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
27. Eames, Tom (17 July 2014). "EastEnders: See the new Ben Mitchell". Digital Spy.
28. "EastEnders recasts Martin Fowler". Digital Spy. 11 October 2014.
29. Dainty, Sophie (16 December 2015). "Here comes trouble: Phil Mitchell's feisty daughter Louise is returning to EastEnders next year". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
30. "Carli Norris to play Belinda Slater". EastEnders News & Spoilers. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
31. "Martin Fowler returns to Albert Square". EastEnders News & Spoilers. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
32. "Louise Mitchell Returns To Albert Square". EastEnders News & Spoilers. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
33. "Jordan Johnson returns to EastEnders". EastEnders News & Spoilers. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
34. "Carli Norris to play Belinda Slater". EastEnders News & Spoilers. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
35. Brown, David (4 April 2015). "EastEnders: Kat and Alfie to get their own drama series on BBC1". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
36. "Dominic Treadwell-Collins set to depart as Executive Producer". 18 February 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
37. Treadwell-Collins, Dominic (6 May 2016). "DomTreadwellCollins on Twitter: "It's my last day on Albert Square."". Twitter. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
38. Brown, David (7 June 2016). "New job for ex-EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins revealed". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 14 October 2016.

External links

• Dominic Treadwell-Collins at IMDb