Talkback Thames split

Then brought out by family channel. Ihave to ask but does Thames still own a studio complexes?

Nope Thames used to own Wimbledon Studios, http://www.wimbledonstudios.com/ ,but they sold those on a while ago!

I think Thames/Fremantle have some studios at their Stephen St complex, but I heard these were sold to Pinewood a while back despite still being part of the building. Then I also heard that they're completely closed now. Anyone able to shed any light?

The reliable TV Studio History says they closed when they sold off what is now known as the Wimbledon Studios. It also says that in 2008 there was a tie-in with Pinewood that saw them take a cut from productions made at Stephen Street.

Yes, TVS never had any money to carry on but of course various bits of it continued in other forms, the drama department set up on its own as Blue Heaven Productions and continued to make Ruth Rendell, Neil Buchanan bought the rights to his shows and set up Media Merchants to carry on making them, the rest of the TVS kids department moved up to STV and their shows like How carried on and the production company The Foundation appears to be staffed entirely by former TVS employees.

As for Thames, the TV Studio History website also says that had some kind of agreement with The Greenwood Theatre/London Bridge Studios for a bit, and also when they lost their franchise they sold off Euston Road but kept Teddington and used it as their head office for a bit. There's a biography of Greg Dyke which says when he took over as Chief Executive of Pearson, Thames' then owners, his office was in Teddington but he hated Teddington because it was miles away from central London and also thought his office was too big, and demanded they partition it into two rooms, which they did, but the radiators and air conditioning were both on the other side of the partition and so it was either too hot or too cold. And eventually they flogged it and moved to Stephen Street.

Recent years have seen other parts of the Fremantle empire undergo closer integration with aquisitions seing their names being disbanded in a spate of debranding and mergers to create country-wide operations. Even big names like Grundy Television in Australia were not immune from this process.

The decision to demerge operations here (even if it is only a branding excercise) would appear to be a bit strange. Unless there has been a wider change of heart at Fremantle and this is likely to be repeated elsewhere with retired brands being brought back, I can't see this arrangement lasting too long.

The company FremantleMedia UK takes over from Talkback Thames. It's merely the departments that will take the Thames, Talkback etc names. So instead of simply been called entertainment dept, it's now Thames.

I don't know any more than you but each Fremantle operation has its own head, and one of their biggest deals is the UK Talkback Thames. Sara Geater is in charge of this, and as CEO I would assume this move is down to her with input from Fremantle. Their worldwide headquarters is London.

I've been following the changes in general for Talkback Thames and it would seem this comes about as a result of a root and branch review of the business after their most lucrative order, The Bill, came to an end. I doubt it is one of those random brand renewals to be forgotten about a few months down the line, on this occasion.

I have to ask who getting control of this department? Archive

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThamesTv

There also own I believe half the back catalogue for Cosgrove hall, and lot more to boot

It's all still the same company, just classified as different 'labels', being the departments. The archive will remain where it is, I'd have thought.

Re:MTM
Weren't that Mary Tyler Moore's company if I am not mistaken?

It was - possibly TVS' greavest error - in the same pot as RBS buying Abn Amro!!!

I think that was the only reason why family Channel wanted to buy TVS, if the US ecomany did not go tits up in 1989 it would have been a sound investment.... TVS did stay on it would have merged with lwt and could have become a ITV superpower to combat Granada and Carlton.

Im surprised Thames did not keep hold of a proper studios it would have help cut cost etc to allow it all to be in house.