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{{Infobox Company
{{Infobox Company
| company_name = Lime Pictures |
| company_name = Lime Pictures (Mersey Television) |
| company_logo = [[Image:Limeprod.jpg|200px|Lime Pictures Logo]] |
| company_logo = [[Image:Limeprod.jpg|200px|Lime Pictures Logo]] |
| company_type = Independent Television Production Company
| company_type = TV Producers
| foundation = [[Mersey Television]] (1982-2006) <br> [[Lime Pictures]] (2006-2012)
| foundation = [[Mersey Television]] (1982-2006) <br> [[Mersey Television|Lime Pictures]] (2006)
| location = [[Liverpool]], [[Merseyside]] - [[North West England]]
| location = [[Liverpool]], [[Merseyside]] - [[North West England]]
| key_people = Lesley Douglas <br> Tony Wood <br> Sean Marley
| key_people = [[Phil Redmond]] (Founder) <br> Carolyn Reynolds <br> Tony Wood <br> Sean Marley
| industry = [[TV production]]
| industry = [[TV production]]
| products = ''[[Hollyoaks]] (1995-2012) <br> [[The Only Way is Essex]] (2010-2012) <br> [[The House of Anubis]] <br> [[Combat Kids]] <br> [[Geordie Shore]] <br> [[Fresh Meat]] <br> [[The Case]] <br> [[Grange Hill]]'' (1978 - 2008)<br> ''[[Brookside]]'' (1982 - 2003)<br> ''Living on the Edge'' (2007)<br> ''[[Bonkers (2007 TV series)|Bonkers]]'' (2007)<br> ''[[Apparitions (TV series)|Apparitions]]'' <br>
| products = ''[[Grange Hill]]'' (1978 - 2008)<br> ''[[Brookside]]'' (1982 - 2003)<br> ''[[Hollyoaks]]'' (1995 - present)<br> ''Living on the Edge'' (2007)<br> ''[[Bonkers (2007 TV series)|Bonkers]]'' (2007)<br> ''[[Apparitions (TV series)|Apparitions]]'' <br> ''[[The Only Way Is Essex]]'' (2010 - present) <br> ''[[House of Anubis]]'' (2011-present)
| num_employees = 500
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| homepage = www.limepictures.com
| net_income =
| num_employees =
| homepage =
}}
}}
'''Lime Pictures''', formerly known as '''Mersey Television''', is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer [[Phil Redmond]] in the early 1980s.


Its first major production was the [[soap opera]] ''[[Brookside]]'' for [[Channel 4]], which ran from the channel's foundation in 1982 until 2003, when it was taken off air due to declining ratings.
'''Lime Pictures''' is emerging as one of Britain's most exciting and dynamic independent production companies. Equally talked about by industry and audience, Lime has produced some of the most innovative, unique and genre-busting popular television for a global market. Lime's governing philosophy is to be a creative repertory company of imaginative ideas, capable of embracing new technologies and methods.


A 2-part spin-off ('soap bubble') of ''Brookside'' was produced in November 1987 called ''[[Damon and Debbie]]''.


==ITV Franchise bid against Granada (North West Television)==
Lime has built its success on three distinct genres: children's, youth drama and the pioneering Reality Drama. With the cultural phenomenon that is '''The Only Way is Essex''' (''ITV2'') and the outrageous '''Geordie Shore''' ''(MTV''), Lime has led the way and is defining a genre that is shaping the future of television. In the Children's field, Lime has produced some truly powerful drama for young audiences. The campaigning drama, '''Combat Kids''', for ''CBBC'' is a tale that highlights the challenges and issues faced by the children of servicemen and women fighting in Afghanistan. '''House of Anubis''' (''Nickelodeon'') is the childhood we'd all have liked to have had. A boarding school comedy soap with a 'curse of the mummy' mystery that provides the perfect blend of thrills and spills, infectious comedy and emotional arcs and is a "truly beautiful series that is uniquely appealing to the whole family". Alongside original new programming, Lime is proud to produce C4’s flagship serial youth drama '''Hollyoaks'''. In 2011 Lime also turned its attention back to its origins in drama with the original hard-hitting legal daytime drama '''The Case''' for ''BBC1''. It also took its first steps into comedy with Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong's '''Fresh Meat''' for ''C4''.


In the 1991 [[ITV]] [[History of ITV#The fifth franchise round: 1993|network franchise auction]], Mersey Television under the name of '''North West Television''' made an audacious bid against holders [[Granada Television]] for the [[North West England]] franchise. Granada had held the North West franchise ever since the inception of independent television in the 1950s, and Granada was one of the biggest and the most established of the ITV companies. Granada was also a popular production company and it came second only to the BBC to find the most respected British television company amongst the British public.


The bid was supported financially by [[Yorkshire Television]] and [[Tyne Tees Television]] and the bid had aimed to provide a more balanced television service for the North West, in particular featuring more content from [[Liverpool]] as opposed to [[Manchester]]. However, although North West Television bid more money for the franchise totallng £35 million as opposed to Granada's £9 million, the licence stayed with Granada as the [[Independent Television Commission]] declared that the Mersey Television bid did not meet the required quality threshold.
Lime Pictures’ ambitions are bold and innovative. With a stable of quality writers and exciting directing talent, Lime has gained a reputation as first class producers. The company works with big talent to deliver distinctive, ground-breaking projects. From ''Jeanette Winterson'' on her first original piece for the small screen, ''Melvin Burgess'' on his television debut, to Orange prize winner ''Rose Tremain'' – Lime Pictures’ list of enviable collaborations continues to grow.


Furthermore, Granada were aware of Mersey Television's attempts to gain the North West franchise and built defences to avoid the lost of the license they had owned for many years.<ref name="round">{{Cite news |title=David Plowright Obituary |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article621040.ece |newspaper=The Times |date=28 August 2006 |accessdate=29 July 2011}}</ref> New franchises which had no experience of owning an ITV franchise (Mersey Television was one such example) would have to a pass a "quality hurdle" that Granada executives actually helped the ITC adopt.<ref name="round"/> Granada also had a well known catalogue of productions including ''[[Prime Suspect (UK TV series)|Prime Suspect]]'', ''[[Cracker (UK TV series)|Cracker]]'', ''[[World in Action]]'' and ''[[Coronation Street]]'' and if Mersey Television had gained the franchise, then Granada would have sold these to satellite television.<ref name="round"/>


==Hollyoaks and Grange Hill==
Lime Pictures are fiercely proud that the business has grown exponentially since ''Mersey Television'' was rebranded as Lime Pictures. From a regional base they have gained a reputation for working with major talent to produce exceptional, meaningful and hugely entertaining programming. Their work provides employment for nearly 500 people outside of London and allows them to offer around 120 work-experience placements to young people each year.


In 1995, the company began producing a second soap opera for Channel 4, ''[[Hollyoaks]]'', which still runs.


Both ''Brookside'' and ''Hollyoaks'' were created by Redmond himself, and in 2003 the company took over production of another series he had created, the children's drama ''[[Grange Hill (television)|Grange Hill]]'', which had first been broadcast on [[BBC One]] in 1978 and had been made in-house by the BBC until Mersey Television took over.
'''Conker Media’s''' development of the '''Digital Fiction Factory''' has secured their position as the UK’s leading provider of digital content and will see the digital media subsidiary work with the main broadcasters on exciting and innovative digital projects. Lime has long been at the helm of innovation with multi-platform programming and all of Lime’s programmes offer content across TV, online, mobile and social media.


The company moved production of the series to their [[Liverpool]] base, with the fictional school no longer being established as in London but instead an unspecified UK location.


⚫
==Sale and name change==
Lime Pictures are proud to produce some of the most popular and stylish on-screen brands. The phenomenal success of '''The Only Way is Essex''' has facilitated a succession of saleable retail products from electrical goods, to beauty products and other branded merchandise. '''Hollyoaks''' remains at the heart of British youth, providing a one stop destination for not only great drama and story, but popular and of the moment music, fashion and trends. This combination of great story-telling and drama mixed with contemporary cultural references makes '''Hollyoaks''' one of the most powerful on screen brands for young people which is why '''Hollyoaks''' is the first programme with which ''C4'' is exploring product placement opportunities. '''Hollyoaks’''' continued popularity has facilitated a succession of spin off shows and specials including '''Hollyoaks Later''' for ''E4'' and the '''Hollyoaks Music Show''' for ''T4'', the latter being ad funded by retailer Matalan.


⚫
Mersey Television was bought by [[All3Media]] in June 2005 and, in a contractual requirement, renamed ''Lime Pictures'' in 2006.


==More recent productions==
Founded by Phil Redmond, '''Lime Pictures''' was formerly known as ''Mersey Television'' but was rebranded after he left the business. Mersey Television was most famous for creating and producing Brookside and Grange Hill.
In 2007, Lime Pictures produced an eight-part series called ''[[Living on the Edge (TV series)|Living on the Edge]]'', documenting the real lives of a group of teenagers in Cheshire, which was shown on [[MTV (UK & Ireland)|MTV]].


In 2007, they produced the short-lived [[ITV]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Bonkers (2007 TV series)|Bonkers]]''.
⚫
==Sale and name change==
In 2008, they produced the first (and so far, only) series of ''[[Apparitions (TV series)|Apparitions]]'', starring [[Martin Shaw]] as an exorcist.


In 2009, they produced the BBC Switch reality drama ''The Season'' filmed in [[Val-d'Isère]].
⚫
Mersey Television was bought by [[All3Media]] in June 2005 and, in a contractual requirement, renamed ''Lime Pictures'' in 2006.
[[File:Lime Pictures.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Enterance to Lime pictures, Childwall, Liverpool.]]

In 2010, Lime Pictures produced a pilot episode for the [[E4 (channel)|E4]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Sex and the Chippy]]'', written by [[Heather Robson]] and [[Neil Jones (screenwriter)|Neil Jones]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/sex_and_the_chippy/
|title=Sex and the Chippy
|publisher=UK Comedy Guide }}</ref>

2010 – present, Lime Pictures have produced the award winning ''[[The Only Way Is Essex]]'' for [[ITV2]].

2011 – present, Lime Pictures have produced ''[[Geordie Shore]]'' for [[MTV (UK & Ireland)|MTV]].

Lime Pictures, along with Nickelodeon Productions and [[Studio 100]], is producing ''[[House of Anubis]]'', shown on [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]].

==References==
{{reflist|1}}


|==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.limepictures.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.limepictures.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.conkermedia.com/ Conker Media]
*[http://www.conkermedia.com/ Conker Media]
Line 42: Line 70:


===Shows===
===Shows===
*[http://www.e4.com/hollyoaks Hollyoaks]
*[http://www.hollyoaks.com/ Hollyoaks]
*[http://www.grangehill.com/ Grange Hill]
*[http://www.grangehill.com/ Grange Hill]
*[http://itv.com/theonlywayisessex TOWIE]


{{ITV}}
{{ITV}}

Revision as of 20:55, 8 March 2012

Lime Pictures (Mersey Television)
Company typeTV Producers
IndustryTV production
FoundedMersey Television (1982-2006)
Lime Pictures (2006)
HeadquartersLiverpool, Merseyside - North West England
Key people
Phil Redmond (Founder)
Carolyn Reynolds
Tony Wood
Sean Marley
ProductsGrange Hill (1978 - 2008)
Brookside (1982 - 2003)
Hollyoaks (1995 - present)
Living on the Edge (2007)
Bonkers (2007)
Apparitions
The Only Way Is Essex (2010 - present)
House of Anubis (2011-present)

Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s.

Its first major production was the soap opera Brookside for Channel 4, which ran from the channel's foundation in 1982 until 2003, when it was taken off air due to declining ratings.

A 2-part spin-off ('soap bubble') of Brookside was produced in November 1987 called Damon and Debbie.

ITV Franchise bid against Granada (North West Television)

In the 1991 ITV network franchise auction, Mersey Television under the name of North West Television made an audacious bid against holders Granada Television for the North West England franchise. Granada had held the North West franchise ever since the inception of independent television in the 1950s, and Granada was one of the biggest and the most established of the ITV companies. Granada was also a popular production company and it came second only to the BBC to find the most respected British television company amongst the British public.

The bid was supported financially by Yorkshire Television and Tyne Tees Television and the bid had aimed to provide a more balanced television service for the North West, in particular featuring more content from Liverpool as opposed to Manchester. However, although North West Television bid more money for the franchise totallng £35 million as opposed to Granada's £9 million, the licence stayed with Granada as the Independent Television Commission declared that the Mersey Television bid did not meet the required quality threshold.

Furthermore, Granada were aware of Mersey Television's attempts to gain the North West franchise and built defences to avoid the lost of the license they had owned for many years.[1] New franchises which had no experience of owning an ITV franchise (Mersey Television was one such example) would have to a pass a "quality hurdle" that Granada executives actually helped the ITC adopt.[1] Granada also had a well known catalogue of productions including Prime Suspect, Cracker, World in Action and Coronation Street and if Mersey Television had gained the franchise, then Granada would have sold these to satellite television.[1]

Hollyoaks and Grange Hill

In 1995, the company began producing a second soap opera for Channel 4, Hollyoaks, which still runs.

Both Brookside and Hollyoaks were created by Redmond himself, and in 2003 the company took over production of another series he had created, the children's drama Grange Hill, which had first been broadcast on BBC One in 1978 and had been made in-house by the BBC until Mersey Television took over.

The company moved production of the series to their Liverpool base, with the fictional school no longer being established as in London but instead an unspecified UK location.

Sale and name change

Mersey Television was bought by All3Media in June 2005 and, in a contractual requirement, renamed Lime Pictures in 2006.

More recent productions

In 2007, Lime Pictures produced an eight-part series called Living on the Edge, documenting the real lives of a group of teenagers in Cheshire, which was shown on MTV.

In 2007, they produced the short-lived ITV sitcom Bonkers.

In 2008, they produced the first (and so far, only) series of Apparitions, starring Martin Shaw as an exorcist.

In 2009, they produced the BBC Switch reality drama The Season filmed in Val-d'Isère.

Enterance to Lime pictures, Childwall, Liverpool.

In 2010, Lime Pictures produced a pilot episode for the E4 sitcom Sex and the Chippy, written by Heather Robson and Neil Jones.[2]

2010 – present, Lime Pictures have produced the award winning The Only Way Is Essex for ITV2.

2011 – present, Lime Pictures have produced Geordie Shore for MTV.

Lime Pictures, along with Nickelodeon Productions and Studio 100, is producing House of Anubis, shown on Nickelodeon.

References

  1. ^ a b c "David Plowright Obituary". The Times. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Sex and the Chippy". UK Comedy Guide.

Shows

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