Granada walks away from Red Heart

Granada Media has launched Granada Australia, after scaling down its involvement in Red Heart Productions, its 50-50 joint venture with Australia’s Seven Network.

The two companies failed to agree on the direction of the Sydney-based Red Heart, headed by former BBC Entertainment topper Paul Jackson.

Seven wanted it to concentrate on making programmes for the domestic marketplace, while Granada was eager that it should make programmes with international appeal.

Trumpeted as Australia’s largest production outfit when it launched last year, Red Heart will now be run as a development shop for Seven projects, overseen by Jackson and the network’s head of development Tim Worner.

Jackson will also helm Granada Australia, a new stand-alone company.

Granada Australia, which will not have first-look deal with Seven, is set to produce new episodes of the ITV comedy drama Cold Feet later this year.