ITV Studios unites US unscripted, scripted under David George as Philippe Maigret exits
ITV Studios is rejigging its US production operation by folding scripted-focused production company ITV Studios America into the ITV America group.
The latter, which is headed by CEO David George, will now house all US scripted and unscripted development and production.
With the restructure, ITV Studios America’s president and managing director Philippe Maigret will leave at the end of the year. Maigret, who has led the company for a decade, will continue to shepherd and executive produce current projects, including a project called One for Prime Video.
Launched in 2015, ITV Studios America previously sat outside the unscripted-focused ITV America production group, which comprises ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Good Caper Content, Thinkfactory Media and High Noon Entertainment.
Over the past 10 years, ITV Studios America has produced scripted series including Franklin (Apple TV+) and Somewhere Between (ABC). It also had a partnership with Tomorrow Studios, which has produced shows including Snowpiercer, Physical, The Better Sister and One Piece.
Tomorrow Studios will continue to operate independently under principals Marty Adelstein and Partner/President Becky Clement, collaborating with George and the ITV America team.
ITV Studios said the moves reflect its “commitment to continued success via streamlined leadership and efficient structure as the company further positions itself for the evolving marketplace.” The move comes against the backdrop of a tough US scripted marketplace. In addition, many large production and distribution groups, including All3Media, Fremantle and Banijay, have also looked to streamline the number of labels under them.
“Throughout the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working with extraordinary teams and creative partners to build a portfolio of series that reached audiences worldwide and helped establish ITV Studios America as a leading independent studio in the US market,” said Maigret.
“Together, we turned passion and talent into storytelling that was both creatively ambitious and commercially successful.”
Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, said Maigret “leaves ITV Studios America very well-positioned for the future. As the marketplace evolves, the time is right to now combine our US unscripted and scripted business under David George. David has built ITV America into a formidable production powerhouse with a string of unscripted hits. He’ll be a fantastic leader for our combined American business going forward.”
George added: “Leading the newly combined US business for ITV is an incredibly exciting opportunity. Bringing scripted, unscripted and digital together under one roof allows us to create a more cohesive and strategic approach. While the industry presents its challenges, creativity remains at its core – and it’s the chance to push those creative boundaries that motivates me most.”
