| by: | Mar 1, 2008 |
Pioneer Productions (London)
One of the few indies left in the UK, Pioneer is riding the strength of several notable programming brands to much bigger things.Pioneer's In the Womb franchise, which placed on several of realscreen's broadcaster lists, added a Banff World Television Award last June. It also has to be credited for giving birth (pun intended) to another of the prodco's successes, The Living Body, which has created some stir on both sides of the Atlantic.
Another notable franchise, World's Most Extreme Homes, has been commissioned for a third series by HGTV. The Hindenburg Disaster, a landmark two-hour docudrama commissioned by Channel 4, ZDF and the Smithsonian Network, has now sold into 50 countries, and has prodded Pioneer to launch a new drama division. Sean Grundy, who directed Hindenburg, heads this newest Pioneer unit. (See 'Docudrama' on pg. 37 for more on Pioneer's work.)
Asked about Pioneer's continued strength, MD Stuart Carter puts his prodco's success down to, "Our international reach (we work with over 20 channels in the US, UK and Europe), and our genre range, which extends from property and lifestyle to drama and high-end science and history."
Employees: 80
Hours this year: 60
Recent titles: In the Womb/Multiples, World's Most Extreme Homes
Current/upcoming titles: The Living Body (Channel 4), plus several recommissioned series
www.pioneertv.com
