BBC Worldwide invests in Sid Gentle Films Ltd.
BBC Worldwide today announced that it has taken a 51% stake in British scripted drama and feature film company Sid Gentle Films Ltd.

We have enjoyed working with Sally and her team immensely over the past three years and this is a great opportunity to build on our partnership.
The agreement follows a successful distribution relationship between the two companies, and includes an option for a phased increase in ownership by BBC Worldwide in the coming years.
Sid Gentle Films Ltd. was founded by Sally Woodward Gentle in 2013 along with Lee Morris and Henrietta Colvin with a focus to develop and produce innovative, original and ambitious television drama and feature films. Sally is one of the UK’s most respected drama creatives and prior to setting up the company worked on a number of titles including the BAFTA award-winning Any Human Heart, the ITV hit Whitechapel, the award-winning Enid starring Helena Bonham-Carter, Tipping the Velvet and Cambridge Spies. Under Sid Gentle Films Ltd. Sally and the team have to date produced titles such as The Durrells for ITV and Masterpiece, SS-GB for the BBC, Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories for Sky and the soon to be released Killing Eve for BBC AMERICA. The Sid Gentle team has also established relationships with a wealth of acclaimed writers including Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Simon Nye, William Boyd, Jesse Armstrong and Amelia Bullmore.
Sally Woodward Gentle, Chief Executive of Sid Gentle Films Ltd, said: “We couldn’t be more delighted to be joining forces with BBC Worldwide. Their respect for our independence coupled with their extraordinary industry links and sales ability is really exciting. Sid has built a reputation working with extraordinary talent and developing projects we believe in and it is very exciting to further our ambitions to create and deliver impactful drama. We have enjoyed working with BBC Worldwide in the past so can’t wait for this new phase in Sid’s life”.
Helen Jackson, BBC Worldwide’s Managing Director of Content, commented: “We have enjoyed working with Sally and her team immensely over the past three years and this is a great opportunity to build on our partnership. Sid Gentle has already delivered several much-loved dramas and we are super excited by what we have seen so far of their latest - Killing Eve. They represent perfectly the creative vibrancy that is British drama right now”.
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Sid by Lyndsey Posner, Managing Director of Independent Talent Group and Matt Garside, Director of Independent Production for BBC Worldwide.
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For more information, please contact:
Cassandra Power
Head of Communications
Corporate and Digital
Email: Cassandra.Power@bbc.com
Tel: +44 7739300280
NOTES TO EDITORS
About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is a principal commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.
In 2016/17 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £157.3m and headline sales of £1,059.9m and returned £210.5m to the BBC.
For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage:
bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.
About Sid Gentle Films Ltd.
Sid Gentle Films Ltd. was founded by Sally Woodward Gentle in 2013 along with Lee Morris and Henrietta Colvin with a focus to develop and produce innovative, original and ambitious television drama and feature films. Credits to date include: The Durrells for ITV and Masterpiece, SS-GB for the BBC, Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories for Sky and the soon to be released Killing Eve for BBC AMERICA.