STUDIOCANAL HIRES SARAH DOOLE TO LEAD AND EXPAND ITS

London, September 30 - STUDIOCANAL, Europe’s leader in production, distribution and international sales of TV series and feature films, today announced the appointment of former Fremantle alum Sarah Doole to the role of CEO at RED Production Company.

Doole, a highly regarded industry figure, takes over the role from . Doole joins the RED/STUDIOCANAL business 5 October 2020 based in . As CEO, Doole will oversee RED’s development and production slate in the UK and work with STUDIOCANAL’s management team to drive the company’s UK and international growth strategy. Doole will also be tasked with expanding RED’s roster of creative talent to deliver new projects as well as fostering further collaboration within the STUDIOCANAL group.

Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Sarah as she takes the helm at RED Production Company, one of the leading producers in the UK. Her creative drive and exceptional scripted experience make her the perfect choice for this significant role. We have big ambitions for RED and we know Sarah will help the company step up to the next level to become an even stronger international player.”

Sarah Doole says: “I’m delighted to be joining RED which has a second-to-none portfolio of drama productions. As a proud Northerner I am extremely keen to protect RED’s strong heritage. I’m so looking forward to working with the RED team and, with the support of STUDIOCANAL, to creating a wide range of new, diverse and inclusive storytelling to sit under the big RED umbrella.”

Marsh adds: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nicola Shindler for her outstanding contribution to RED Production and our business.” Doole joins RED from Fremantle, where she had been Director of Global Drama since 2013. She is widely credited for revitalising the super indie’s scripted credentials by attracting top writing and production talent to the business, while developing and delivering a dynamic drama portfolio that won both critical and commercial acclaim. During her tenure, Doole oversaw a portfolio of high-end international scripted projects which include the Deutschland trilogy, The Young Pope, My Brilliant Friend, Beecham House, Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Salisbury Poisonings.

Prior to Fremantle, Doole was Creative Director of Drama and Head of Indie Drama at BBC Worldwide, where her roster of award-winning shows included Sherlock, Gavin & Stacey, Call the Midwife, Misfits and Life on Mars among others.

She began her career at Yorkshire Television, working on a slate of critically- acclaimed documentaries, peak-time entertainment series and kids programming, including Yorkshire Television’s first youth series Intoview, and ground-breaking documentaries such as China Rising and Red Empire.

In August, Doole announced the launch of Sow the Seed, a unique incubator company focusing on new talent and under-represented voices, bringing inventive production methods and the very best international storytelling to market across drama, comedy, entertainment and documentaries, through TV, podcast, audio music, literature and art and fashion. She is currently in advanced talks with RED’s owner to bring the new company into the STUDIOCANAL fold to be an incubation hub for diverse voices across Europe. About STUDIOCANAL

STUDIOCANAL, a 100% affiliate of CANAL+ Group held by Vivendi, is Europe's leader in production, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series, operating directly in all three major European markets - France, the United Kingdom and Germany – as well as in Australia and New Zealand. STUDIOCANAL is actively developing and distributing high-end TV series through its network of award-winning European production companies, including TANDEM in Germany (SHADOWPLAY), the UK's RED Production Company (Years and Years), Spain's BAMBÚ PRODUCCIONES (On Death Row) and France's STUDIOCANAL ORIGINAL (Mouche). STUDIOCANAL is also an associate of Danish-based SAM Productions founded by Søren Sveistrup and Adam Price (Ride Upon The Storm) as well as of UK-based GUILTY PARTY PICTURES; Benedict Cumberbatch's production company SUNNYMARCH TV (Patrick Melrose) and URBAN MYTH FILMS (War of the Worlds).

About Red Production Company

RED Production Company is one of the UK’s pre-eminent producers of high-end drama and part of STUDIOCANAL’s growing portfolio of production entities. STUDIOCANAL’s global distribution arm has achieved significant international success with leading broadcasters like HBO and global platforms such as and Hulu with many RED titles such as Safe, Trust Me and most recently Years and Years and ’s The Stranger.

Press contact

STUDIOCANAL: Olivia Abehassera / +33 1 71 35 19 66 / [email protected]