Left Bank Pictures

Logo description by Shadeed A. Kelly Logo captures by EnormousRat and Shadeed A. Kelly

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 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- ) Left Bank Pictures (2010)Left Bank-ITV1: 2010-wsLeft Bank-Mad Dogs: 2010-wsLeft Bank: 2011-wsLeft Bank-Channel 4: 2012-wsLeft Bank-ITV 2013-ws

Logo: On a white background, there is a big picture frame with an old antique boarder. Inside the picture is black empty space with a man standing in front of the frame looking down. Inside the background of the frame has a gray gradient on the bottom and it later rises up to make it a black/white gradient. While that happens, the text "LEFT BANK Pictures" with "LEFT BANK" in all caps and "Pictures" in a burgundy grainy font fade and wipes in letter by letter.

Variants:

Some shows would have this logo appear on a black background. On Mad Dogs, the logo appear on a black background and below the logo has the text saying "A Left Bank Pictures Production for Sky One" and on the second line below says "in association with the Fundació Mallorca Turisme" with a copyright further below saying "© Left Bank Pictures (Mad Dogs) Limited and Palma Pictures, TMPC S. L. (YEAR)". On the two-part pilot for DCI Banks titled DCI Banks: Aftermath, below the logo has a text saying "A Left Bank Pictures Production for ITV1". On 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, fades in together below the logo. On The Ice Cream Girls, the logo is smaller and the text "for" is seen and below the word is the black "2012" ITV logo.

FX/SFX: 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.

Availability: Common. It appears on most of Left Bank Pictures' productions such as School of Comedy, Strike Back, The Ice Cream Girls, Married, Single, Other, Mad Dogs, DCI Banks, Cardinal Burns, Zen, and Father and Son. It also appears on Electric Dreams.

Editor's Note: None.