Hat Trick alum, Argonon set up prodco

UK- and US-based production group Argonon is launching a new factual indie with former Hat Trick Productions exec Claire Collinson-Jones.

Claire Collinson-Jones

Studio Leo has already secured a commission from ViacomCBS’s UK terrestrial broadcaster Channel 5 to produce 101 Years of Tesco (3×60’), charting the history of the country’s biggest supermarket.

The firm will be the eighth within the Argonon group and will be headed by Collinson-Jones as chief creative officer.

In 10 years at Hat Trick Productions her roles included head of factual and formats and executive producer.

While there she was responsible for creating and delivering the long-running Channel 5 format Rich House, Poor House, Further credits included nine season of format Dinner Date (ITV), Lost & Found (Channel 4) and the original format for Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday (Channel 5).

Studio Leo’s first commission is being executive produced by Collinson-Jones and commissioned by Channel 5 commissioning editor Denise Seneviratne.

Collinson-Jones said: “As a truly independent group, Argonon offers both the creative freedom to develop a slate of popular factual series and exciting collaboration possibilities on both sides of the Atlantic. Studio Leo has a diverse range of ideas in development from documentaries to features, purpose-driven formats and factual entertainment. I’m looking forward to creating innovative, engaging content for broadcasters, networks and platforms.”

The move follows the recent launch of Argonon USA, the appointment of a new chief creative officer at Leopard USA and the opening of a west coast office. It also follows the acquisition of branded content business Nemorin Film & Video.

Argonon is home to five more production companies alongside Leopard USA, which makes House Hunters International for HGTV, namely Bandicoot (The Masked Singer, ITV), Leopard Pictures (Worzel, BBC1), BriteSpark Films (Dispatches, Channel 4), Windfall Films (Unearthed, Discovery) and Like A Shot (Abandoned Engineering, Discovery).