ITV Studios, the renowned production company known for several popular scripted series has secured a majority ownership in Hartswood Films. Notable projects from Hartswood Films include the recent ITVX and ITV1 success Douglas Is Cancelled, Prime Video’s psychological thriller The Devil’s Hour, and the BBC’s acclaimed series Sherlock.
London and Cardiff-based Hartswood Films, established in 1979 by Beryl Vertue, makes it the longest-established scripted producer in the UK. The company is currently led by CEO and Executive Producer Sue Vertue, along with Director of Operations Debbie Vertue, Managing Director Dan Cheesbrough, and Creative Director and Executive Producer Steven Moffat.
Furthermore, Hartswood Films has a diverse portfolio of acclaimed drama and comedy series, produced for major broadcasters and platforms such as the BBC, ITV, Netflix, and Prime Video.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director ITV Studios, said, “From Men Behaving Badly to Sherlock, The Devil’s Hour to Douglas is Cancelled, Hartswood Films has been a huge part of the TV landscape for decades. They have a hard won reputation for being brilliant producers of quality, ambitious and highly successful scripted television. I’m delighted to welcome them to ITV Studios.”
Hartswood Films has further collaborated with a diverse array of talent, including producers, writers, and actors such as Stanley Tucci, Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dolly Wells, and Ukweli Roach.
The company’s notable recent projects include “Dracula” and the mini-series “Inside Man,” both for the BBC and Netflix, as well as “Wolf” and “The Control Room” for the BBC. The globally acclaimed series “Sherlock,” which has won nine Emmy awards, was broadcast across more than 200 territories worldwide. Additionally, Future international distribution of Hartswood Films’ content will be managed by ITV Studios.
Sue Vertue, CEO and Executive Producer of Hartswood Films said, “Hartswood are not known for making rash decisions and it’s taken us 40 years to make this one: we are delighted therefore to have chosen to team up with ITV Studios. We have always been open to investment if we could meet like-minded people who understood the need for independence which is at the ‘heart’ of Hartswood, while bringing us a whole new range of strengths and skills. We are a small company and have done very well on our own, but we couldn’t be more excited about a bigger future and what we can achieve together with ITV Studios.”