Red Production Company
| Company type | Independent (until acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Nicola Shindler |
| Defunct | June 2025 |
| Fate | Dissolved and consolidated into StudioCanal TV UK |
| Successor | StudioCanal TV UK |
| Headquarters | Ancoats, Manchester , United Kingdom |
Key people | Nicola Shindler (Founder), Patrick Schweitzer (CEO until 2025) |
| Parent | StudioCanal (from 2013) |
Red Production Company Limited was an independent British television drama producer founded in 1998 by Nicola Shindler and later became part of the French production and distribution firm StudioCanal.
Background
Nicola Shindler, recognized for her work on Our Friends in the North and Cracker, established Red Production Company. The company's inaugural project was the influential drama Queer as Folk (1999), penned by Russell T Davies, which aired on Channel 4 and garnered widespread acclaim.
Subsequently, Red produced Channel 4's anthology series Love in the 21st Century and the sequel Queer as Folk 2 in 2000. The firm broadened its portfolio by creating dramas for nearly all major British broadcasters. Although Granada Television expressed interest in acquiring Red, Shindler opted to retain ownership to preserve creative control.
In 2013, the company moved its base to MediaCityUK in Manchester. Since 2022, operations have been conducted from Ancoats under the leadership of CEO Patrick Schweitzer, who previously worked at Tall Story Pictures.
In June 2025, twelve years following StudioCanal's acquisition, it was announced that Red Production Company would be dissolved as StudioCanal consolidated its UK television production under StudioCanal TV UK. This restructuring led to Patrick Schweitzer stepping down as CEO.
Partnerships
In December 2013, Nicola Shindler sold a controlling interest in Red to the French media corporation StudioCanal.
In 2015, Shindler took on a creative and managerial advisory role with Guilty Party, a production company launched by actor Simon Bird along with Jonny Sweet and Spencer Millman.
The following year, Shindler teamed up with author Harlan Coben to establish Final Twist Productions, a US-based production company where they both serve as Co-CEOs. Distribution responsibilities are managed by StudioCanal.
Programmes
- For BBC One
- Clocking Off (2000–03)
- Linda Green (2001–02)
- Sparkhouse (2002)
- The Good Housekeeping Guide (2006)
- Magnolia (2006)
- New Street Law (2006–07)
- Single Father (2010)
- Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020)
- The Driver (2014)
- Happy Valley (2014–23)
- Ordinary Lies (2015–16)
- Danny and the Human Zoo (2015)
- Trust Me (2017)
- Come Home (2018)
- Years and Years (2019)
- Ridley Road (2021)
- For BBC Two
- Flesh and Blood (2002)
- Indian Dream (2003)
- For BBC Choice
- Having It Off (2002)
- For BBC Three
- Burn It (2003)
- Casanova (2005)
- Conviction (2004)
- For ITV
- Bob & Rose (2001)
- The Second Coming (2003)
- Mine All Mine (2004)
- Big Dippers (2005)
- Dead Man Weds (2005)
- Jane Hall (2006)
- Unforgiven (2009)
- Scott & Bailey (2011–16)
- Prey (2014–15)
- Paranoid (2016)
- Butterfly (2018)
- Finding Alice (2021)
- No Return (2022)
- For Channel 4
- Queer as Folk (1999–2000)
- Love in the 21st Century (1999)
- Legless (2005)
- The Mark of Cain (2007)
- Cucumber (2015)
- It's a Sin (2021)
- For E4
- Banana (2015)
- For Sky One
- Now You See Her (2001)
- For Sky Atlantic
- Hit & Miss (2011)
- For Netflix
- Paranoid (2016)
- Safe (2018)
- The Stranger (2020)
- Stay Close (2021)
- Anansi Boys (TBA)