Ramsay, Optomen cook up JV

UK indie Optomen Television and TV chef Gordon Ramsay have announced the formation of a joint venture that will produce all of Ramsay’s global TV output for the next seven years.

The new company, One Potato Two Potato, will be co-owned by Ramsay and Optomen.

As well as production it will also exploit programmes and formats created with Ramsay and the publishing and other ancillary opportunities arising from them.

One Potato Two Potato has already won its first major UK commission, Cookalong Live (7×60′) for Channel 4’s autumn 2008 season. The series will build on the success of Ramsay’s first live Cookalong, which aired in January 2008 as the climax of C4’s Big Food Fight.

In the new series of Cookalong Live, Ramsay will invite the UK to join him in their kitchens, where every week for seven weeks he’ll teach them how to prepare and cook a different bespoke three-course meal.

One Potato Two Potato also has a number of projects in development for Ramsay.

Optomen has been working with Ramsay since 2004 on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, which it has coproduced in the US with Fox. It also produces the F Word.

Optomen MD Pat Llewellyn said: “We love working with Gordon and are delighted that after four years we’ve now cemented our relationship by creating a company together. Gordon’s a huge talent both on screen and off and working together we can make One Potato Two Potato into so much more.”