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Benton forms prodco, signs Archer

UK media advisory firm Bob & Co has launched a TV production company, appointed a former FremantleMedia drama boss and done a deal with novelist Jeffrey Archer.

Donna Wiffen

Donna Wiffen

Duchess Street Productions will specialise in producing high-end original drama and dramatic adaptations, and has hired Donna Wiffen as a consultant. Wiffen leaves her job at FremantleMedia on June 30.

The firm announced it has also acquired the TV rights to Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles, comprising the novels Only Time Will Tell (2011), The Sins of the Father (2012), Best Kept Secret (2013) and Be Careful What You Wish For (2014).

Archer said he did the deal with Duchess Street because he wanted to the company to “out-Downton Downton Abbey,” referring to the wildly popular ITV1 period drama that is set in the same pre-Second World War era as The Clifton Chronicles.

Media veteran Bob Benton, founder of Bob & Co, said the new firm signalled “an exciting new direction for the company that reflects our commitment to developing quality creative content with real commercial bite.”

Benton, who said Wiffen’s appointment would be “initially” as a consultant, added: “Her expertise in the TV drama genre, combined with Bob & Co’s experience in developing strong creative content and IP with commercial value, will be instrumental in expanding the company’s catalogue and bringing high-quality dramas to the screen.”

Wiffen is currently overseeing scripted content for FremantleMedia in the Middle East after being replaced as head of worldwide drama by Sarah Doole in March, as revealed by C21. She previously worked as head of production for TalkbackThames and also had spells with Endemol and Cliffhanger Productions.

Wiffen will spearhead the Clifton Chronicles adaptations and consult on development and pre-production on Duchess Street’s initial slate of shows. She said the Clifton novels were “an epic saga that lends itself perfectly to adaptation as a quality primetime drama with commercial viability and international appeal.

“Bob & Co is well-established in its work advising, developing and facilitating successful TV, film and theatre productions, and the addition of Duchess Street Productions will create a real synergy with Bob & Co’s film and theatre projects.”

The launch of Duchess Street Productions follows the recent appointment of former Bafta chairman, Tim Corrie, as non-executive chairman of Bob & Co.

Bob & Co offers advisory services including guidance on fundraising and investment for creative content owners and has been involved on projects across a range of formats, including drama That Day We Sang with Endor Productions for BBC2 and children’s TV series Q-Pootle 5 for CBeebies.

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