Celador Explained

CPL Productions
Former Name:Celador
Industry:Television, film and theatre production, music publishing, radio station operation
Founder:Paul Smith CBE
Hq Location City:Long Acre
Hq Location Country:United Kingdom
Area Served:United Kingdom and overseas
Brands:Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Slumdog Millionaire
The Descent
Winning Lines
Services:Television production
Broadcast syndication
Light entertainment
Motion picture production
Commercial radio
Music publishing
Mobile entertainment
Subsid:Celador Films
Celador Theatrical Productions
Lusam Music
Parent:Seven.One Studios
Owner:ProSiebenSat.1 Media

CPL Productions (formerly Celador) is an independent television and radio production company run by Danielle Lux, Murray Boland and Janet Oakes.[1] It was formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as an independent television production company. It created and produced a number of popular light entertainment shows and is best known for the TV format Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the film Slumdog Millionaire which, in 2009, collected seven BAFTAs, four Golden Globes and eight Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture.[2]

The name Celador is a re-spelling of "cellar door", a phrase whose sound is often noted to be particularly euphonious.

History

Formerly known as Celador, the company was founded by Paul Smith and included Jasper Carrott as one of its founder shareholders. After establishing itself as a leading UK production company it expanded into TV format licensing, film production and radio station ownership and operation. By 2006, Celador was owned by Complete Communications Corporation, a firm which Smith (who owned 18%) wanted to break up so he could concentrate on radio and film production. Managing director and former 1990s Top of the Pops presenter Adrian Woolfe[3] wanted to buy the television division outright as part of a management buyout with Danielle Lux, but this was split into parts with Lux completing the buy-out of Celador Productions without Woolfe and the rights to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. In 2009, Celador Productions re-named to CPL, before becoming a division of ProSieben's Seven.One Studios in 2012 (formerly Red Arrow Studios).

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Celador International and the rights and associated properties of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? were acquired by Dutch group 2waytraffic, eventually becoming part of Sony Pictures Television. In 2004, Celador commenced legal action against The Walt Disney Company for what it claimed were unpaid profits from the American version of the programme, licensed by Disney for its ABC TV channel. At a jury trial in Los Angeles in June 2010, Celador was awarded $269m (£177m) in damages after the jury ruled that it failed to receive a fair share of profits.[4]

CPL Productions

As of 2022, CPL Productions is making a new version of You Are What You Eat with Trisha Goddard and Amir Khan for Channel 5 and has teamed up with the Ranga Bee[5] production company to make a six-part comedy series, written and created by Romesh Ranganathan and Benjamin Green for BBC Studios,[6] calledAvoidance.

Television

Radio

Celador Entertainment

Television

Films

Celador Radio

Celador previously owned twenty-seven UK commercial radio stations including The Breeze and Sam FM networks and Fire Radio. In January 2017 Celador Radio acquired Anglian Radio's five stations (North Norfolk Radio, Radio Norwich, The Beach, Town 102 and Dream 100) which broadcast across the Anglian region.[34] In 2019 Celador Radio disposed of its entire radio division to Bauer Media.[35]

The final portfolio comprised the following radio stations, which were sold to Bauer Radio in February 2019.

The Breeze Network

Sam FM Stations

Anglian Radio Network

Other stations

People

Paul Smith is chairman of Celador Entertainment Limited which is the parent company for Celador Films, Celador Radio, Celador Theatrical and Lusam Music.

Ellis Watson was the CEO until 2003. Following the new structure of Celador's previous constituent divisions, Celador Productions, (renamed CPL Productions) is now run by managing director (since 2003) Danielle Lux. Christian Colson left Celador Films as Managing Director in 2009 to form Cloud Nine Films, now renamed Cloud Eight Films.

In the last few years, former managing director Adrian Woolfe[37] has teamed up with Claudia Rosencrantz,[38] the person who commissioned Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? originally at ITV, to launch the Studio 1 production company and an entertainment news network called LIT,[39] [40] [41] which has been available to stream via Peacock since January 2021.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CPL Productions - Hello . 2023-02-13.
  2. Web site: Slumdog Millionaire. IMDb.
  3. Web site: Adrian.
  4. News: Pettersson . Edvard . Disney Loses 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' Trial . Bloomberg . 7 July 2010 . 17 October 2011.
  5. Web site: Avoidance: Romesh Ranganathan Creates and Stars in New BBC Comedy. 17 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Romesh Ranganathan creates, writes and stars in new comedy series Avoidance – the Version . theversion.co . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20220117115232/https://theversion.co/2022/01/17/romesh-ranganathan-creates-writes-and-stars-in-new-comedy-series-avoidance/ . 17 January 2022.
  7. Web site: Sky commissions Hold the Front Page from CPL . 2023-02-13 . Seven.One Studios . en-GB.
  8. Web site: A+E Networks® UK and NIT Television explore Britain's Greatest Obsessions . 2023-02-13 . A+E Networks EMEA . en.
  9. Web site: BAFTA Award winning Sky Original Life & Rhymes returns for a second series on Sky Arts . 2023-02-13 . www.skygroup.sky . en-gb.
  10. Web site: Channel 4 commissions new quiz format from CPL Productions . 2023-02-13 . www.channel4.com . Channel 4.
  11. Web site: 2020-04-29 . CPL brings back Rob and Romesh for Sky . 2023-02-13 . televisual.com . Televisual.
  12. "Trip Hazard" Bradford with Tom Rosenthal (TV Episode) . 2022 . Company credits . CPL Productions . en-US . 2023-02-13 . IMDb.
  13. Web site: Creamer . Jon . 2021-07-12 . Discovery + brings 90 Day Fiancé to UK . 2023-02-13 . televisual.com . Televisual.
  14. Web site: Brief Encounters . 2023-02-13 . Royal Television Society . en.
  15. Web site: Ellie & Natasia - BBC3 Sketch Show . 2023-02-13 . British Comedy Guide . en.
  16. Web site: 2020-09-03 . High Strangeness from CPL Productions commissioned by Audible . 2023-02-13 . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Goldbart . Max . 2023-02-08 . 'Love Is Blind' UK Version Confirmed By Netflix From 'Married At First Sight' Producer CPL Productions . 2023-02-13 . Deadline . en-US.
  18. Web site: Married at First Sight UK. CPL Productions.
  19. Web site: E4's Married at First Sight UK scores 1m. CPL Productions.
  20. Web site: CPL Productions - Gossip and Goddesses With Granny Kumar . 2023-02-13.
  21. Web site: Able . Sane and . David Spicer . 2023-02-13 . The Agency . en.
  22. Web site: CPL Productions - Influencers . 2023-02-13.
  23. Web site: Ruby Wax Talking Human . 2023-02-13 . www.bbc.com . en.
  24. Web site: CPL Productions - Scrambled EGG . 2023-02-13.
  25. Web site: Wayne Dobson Close-up (1995) . https://web.archive.org/web/20220207171504/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7e04b86c . dead . 7 February 2022 .
  26. Greatest TV Moments of the 1980s, a BBC Studios production for Channel 5, broadcast on 6 February 2022 (Radio Times 5-11 February 2022, page 60: Channel 5 schedule)
  27. Web site: Golden glory for Slumdog Millionaire – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) . ABC . Australia . 12 January 2009 . 17 October 2011.
  28. News: Slumdog Millionaire, Kate Winslet are giant winners at Golden Globes – Arts & Entertainment – CBC News . CBC . Canada . 12 January 2009 . 17 October 2011.
  29. News: South Asia | Slumdog Millionaire sweeps Globes . BBC News . 12 January 2009 . 17 October 2011.
  30. News: Film . Is Slumdog Millionaire movie set for Golden Globe glory? . The Daily Telegraph. 17 October 2011 . London . 11 January 2009.
  31. Web site: Leading News Resource of Pakistan . Daily Times. 10 January 2009 . 17 October 2011.
  32. Web site: Slumdog Millionaire bags top slots at Critics' Choice Awards . The Indian Express . India . 10 January 2009 . 17 October 2011.
  33. Web site: 'Slumdog Millionaire' wins top honor at Globes – Marketing and Media . livemint.com . 12 January 2009 . 17 October 2011.
  34. http://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/01/celador-radio-takes-control-of-anglian-radio/ Celador Radio takes control of Anglia Radio
  35. Web site: Bauer Media continues to grow with two acquisitions. Feb 5, 2019. Oct 2, 2020.
  36. http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/05/celador-launches-jack-fm-in-swindon/ Radio Today: Celador launches Jack FM in Swindon. 28 May 2012
  37. Web site: Adrian.
  38. Web site: Claudia.
  39. Web site: LIT.
  40. Web site: 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' Duo Claudia Rosencrantz & Adrian Woolfe Launch Entertainment News Network LIT. 22 July 2020.
  41. Web site: Entertainment News Network LIT to Launch Exclusively on NBCUniversal Streamer Peacock. 11 January 2021.