Channel X Hopscotch is a newly launched production company that will be based in Glasgow.
It has been formed by independent production company Channel X (Home C4, Detectorists BBC & So Awkward CBBC), who already have offices in London & Manchester, and Glasgow-based Hopscotch Films (The Story of Film, Women Make Film).
The two companies have joined forces to develop scripted comedy and drama projects based and created in Scotland and already have a slate of projects in development.
Hopscotch’s Carolynne Sinclair Kidd will be CCO of the company, whilst John Archer from Hopscotch and Alan Marke and Jim Reid of Channel X will be the company directors.
On creating the company Carolynne Sinclair Kidd said: “Early in my career I produced the award winning comedy drama series High Times for STV and it was one of my favourite productions to work on. With the collaboration of the brilliant Channel X, I’d like to champion sparky, edgy, contemporary comedy like this, and help it find a home not only in Scotland but within the whole of the UK and worldwide. There’s no reason why we can’t be making world class shows from Scotland like End of the F***ing World or Schitt’s Creek, and I’m going to be working with the talent to make that happen.”
John Archer said: “In these times we need a good laugh more than ever. Carolynne is one of Scotland’s great producers and Channel X are a brilliant, imaginative company whose work we’ve always admired. They are a great partnership for us.”
Channel X’s Alan Marke & Jim Reid (pictured) said: “In our view, Scotland has been underrepresented on the UK’s comedy and drama scene. There is a wealth of writing, performing and craft talent in the country and we would like to help turn that talent into modern, relevant and world beating narrative TV. We’re excited to be working with Carolynne and John collaboratively in order to achieve that.”
About the Companies:
CHANNEL X/CHANNEL X NORTH
Channel X is one of the most established indies in the UK with a storied 33 year history, with offices in London, Manchester and now Glasgow.
In recent years the company has produced BAFTA winning shows like comedy drama Detectorists (BBC) and children’s sitcom So Awkward (CBBC). More recently the company has produced two series of the BAFTA nominated comedy Home (C4) and has moved into drama with shows in development in the UK and USA.
Primarily a narrative comedy company now, Channel X had previously been best known for chat shows like the Last Resort with Jonathan Ross (C4), panel shows like Shooting Stars (BBC) and sketch shows like the Smell of Reeves and Mortimer (BBC).
The company is jointly owned by Alan Marke and Jim Reid - both multi-award winning executive producers
HOPSCOTCH FILMS
Hopscotch Films makes international feature documentaries and drama from Scotland.
Following premieres at the Venice Film Festival and TIFF, the BFI have just released the Hopscotch produced 14 hour Women Make Film documentary. This was a follow up to Mark Cousin’s The Story Of Film (TIFF 2011), which Hopscotch also produced, and one of six recent feature docs.
Make Me Up (2018), Scottish artist Rachel Maclean’s technicoloured dystopian fiction about being female in a consumer society, premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and just won a FIPRESCI Award at the Flying Broom International Women’s Festival.
Hopscotch have made a variety of comedy and drama programmes including three shows with Fern Brady for BBC Scotland, and with producer Carolynne Sinclair Kidd, two hour-long projects from Greg Hemphill.
For the past six years Hopscotch have also been championing new and emerging writing, directing and producing talent in Scotland via their role with the Scottish Film Talent Network. The first feature film to be produced as a result of that initiative, Ben Sharrock’s cross-cultural satire Limbo, has been selected for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Currently Hopscotch are working with the National Theatre of Scotland, BBC Arts, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland to make Scenes for Survival, over 50 new works for online and TV.
