Entertainment <\/p>\n
\n\tEXCLUSIVE: <\/strong>Fremantle<\/a> is planning to once again merge Britain\u2019s Got Talent<\/a> <\/em>producer Thames<\/a> with Talkback<\/a> under a restructure that will be unveiled in the coming months.<\/p>\n \n\tDeadline understands plans are being drawn up to consolidate Fremantle\u2019s UK entertainment labels, with the coming together of the two stalwart British production houses a strong possibility. The Apprentice <\/em>producer Naked, which was merged with Fremantle stablemate Boundless in 2020, could also be brought within the newly-merged entity. <\/p>\n \n\tIf rubberstamped, Deadline understands a label boss will be hired to oversee the new Talkback Thames shingle and a redundancy process will likely take place. We revealed late last month<\/a> that Thames MD Amelia Brown is exiting<\/a> after two decades to set up her own production company, while Naked MD Fatima Salaria is also departing shortly<\/a>. <\/p>\n \t<\/p>\n \t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tIf the plans are pushed through, the move will be the third time Thames has been combined with Talkback. They were first brought together in 2003 before being de-merged a decade on. Another merger then took place in 2017 but was reversed just two years later. <\/p>\n \n\tThe merger would once again forge a mini entertainment powerhouse. <\/p>\n \n\tThames produces Simon Cowell<\/a>\u2019s ITV hit Britain\u2019s Got Talent <\/em>(with Cowell\u2019s Syco label) and could be prepping a return for The X Factor, <\/em>while Thames and Talkback co-produce Netflix smash Too Hot to Handle. <\/em>Other individual label credits include I Can See Your Voice, QI <\/em>and Never Mind the Buzzcocks<\/a><\/em>, while shows in the works include ITV format Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream<\/em> (Thames) and Sky\u2019s On Demand<\/em> (Talkback).<\/p>\n \n\tRTL-owned Fremantle is undergoing major shifts as the producer\/distributor targets revenues of \u20ac3B ($3.2B) by 2025. A recent Deadline analysis estimated Fremantle has spent \u20ac250M ($270M) on 11 companies in the past two years. <\/p>\n \n\tThe outfit has snapped up the likes of Italian indie Lux Vide, Normal People <\/em>producer Element Pictures and UK docs indie 72 Films. Incidentally, 72, which Fremantle valued at nearly \u00a370M ($85.4M), is pushing into entertainment by forging big-budget James Bond competition format Road to a Million <\/em>for Prime Video with MGM Television, which is being produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.<\/p>\n \n\tReferring to acquiring new labels around the world, Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle\u2019s Chief Operating Officer and Continental Europe CEO, recently denied to Deadline<\/a> that consolidation is on the agenda.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe have never changed names, incorporated companies or canceled brands or canceled cultures,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\tRelated Story\t<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\tAnton Launching TV Production Arm Helmed By Former Fremantle Alums Sangeeta Desai & Sarah Doole\t\t<\/h3>\n