Footballers' Wives creator Shed snaps up Supernanny indie

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 25-Nov-05, 11:00

LONDON - 'Footballers Wives' creator Shed has acquired independent production company Ricochet, which is behind 'Supernanny', in deal worth up to £30m.

As well as the award-winning 'Supernanny', which has been a massive hit for Channel 4 and the ABC network in the US, Shed will own the rights to Ricochet's shows including 'How Not To Decorate', 'It's Me Or The Dog', 'Living in the Sun' and 'Risking It All'.

The deal will pave the way for Shed, which also makes prison drama 'Bad Girls', to sell more of its portfolio of shows to the US by taking advantage of Ricochet's Los Angeles office and existing ties with ABC.

"Ricochet's existing relationships with US broadcasters provide Shed with an exciting opportunity to make further inroads into the US market," Shed said in a statement.

Ricochet managing director Nick Powell and creative director Nick Southgate will join the Shed board as part of the deal.

Eileen Gallagher, chief executive of Shed, said: "Ricochet is a truly quality company and a perfect fit for Shed."

In addition, Shed intends to exploit the ancillary rights to Ricochet's productions through wider distribution of international, DVD and licensing rights.

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