Left Bank Pictures

Background
Left Bank Pictures was founded in July 2007 by Andy Harries, who was in control of comedy, drama, and film at Granada Productions, along with Francis Hopkinson and Marigo Kehole, and is based in London, England. Left Bank was the first British production company to receive investment from BBC Worldwide when BBC took a 25% stake worth £1 million for exchange in the distribution of all Left Bank's productions. On January 28, 2008, Left Bank Pictures acquired a 15% stake in struggling British production company Hardy & Sons, which was relaunched as "Hardy Pictures" as Left Bank's drama and documentary unit with BBC Worldwide. In 2011, Left Bank sold its stake in Hardy Pictures back to Justin Hardy. During the same year, Hopkinson left Left Bank in May to take a new position for ITV Studios. On April 6, 2012, Left Bank put itself up for sale. On July 5, 2012, Sony Pictures Television was planning to acquire Left Bank for £40 million. Two other companies wanted to acquire Left Bank were Red Arrow Entertainment Group and ITV. The sale was completed on August 23, 2012, when SPT acquired a majority stake in Left Bank. BBC Worldwide reduced its stake in Left Bank from 25% to 12.2% and Harries and Kehole also reduced their stake. BBC Worldwide will continue to distribute Left Bank's older content, while SPT will distribute newer content. Left Bank Pictures is the 4th British production acquired by SPT with Gogglebox Entertainment as the 1st, Victory Television as the 2nd, and Silver River Productions as the 3rd.

(June 29, 2009-)
Logo: On a white background, there is a big picture frame with an old antique border. Inside the picture is a black empty space with a man standing in front of the frame looking down. The background inside of the frame has a gradient on the bottom, which later rises up to make it a black/white gradient. While that happens, the text "Serif" in a grainy font fade and wipe in letter-by-letter.

Variants:
 * Starting in 2016, the logo is enhanced and appears on a black background with reflection on the bottom and it animates the same, but the text is in a different font and in white and flashing to the right.
 * A sped-up version of the black background version exists.
 * Sometimes, this logo can be shared with other logos on some shows.
 * On Mad Dogs, the logo appears on a black background and below the logo is the text saying "A Left Bank Pictures Production for Sky One", with "in association with the Fundació Mallorca Turisme" below it and the copyright "© Left Bank Pictures (Mad Dogs) Limited and Palma Pictures, TMPC S. L. (YEAR)" further below.
 * On the two-part pilot for DCI Banks titled DCI Banks: Aftermath, below the logo is the text "A Left Bank Pictures Production for ITV1". In the series, the text "A Left Bank Pictures production" is seen above the logo.
 * On Cardinal Burns, while the logo animates, the text "for Channel 4" and the copyright stamp "© Channel Four Television Corporation (YEAR)" all in black, fade in together below the logo.
 * On The Ice Cream Girls, the logo is smaller and the word "for" is seen, and below the word is the 2012 ITV logo in black.

Technique: The background inside the picture changing, the text fading and wiping in. Sometimes, the logo fades in or is superimposed.

Music/Sounds: Usually the finishing of the end-title theme from any show or none. On Strike Back: Project Dawn (a.k.a. Strike Back: Cinemax Season One), there is a calm synth electric guitar theme playing. Starting in 2016, a different sound theme is used.

Availability: Common. It appears on all of the company's productions, such as School of Comedy, Strike Back, The Ice Cream Girls, Married, Single, Other, Mad Dogs, DCI Banks, Cardinal Burns, Zen, Father and Son, Outlander, The Crown, Electric Dreams and Misbehaviour.