A QUALITY ACT

One of the first independent production companies to be commissioned by Channel 4, Flashback Television continues to successfully produce a diverse range of factual entertainment programmes for both the UK and international broadcasters.

Hitesh Modi talks to co-founders, Taylor Downing and David Edgar, and head of production Tim Ball about the company’s philosphy, innovations and future direction.

Introduction:

Founded in 1982 and still independently owned by managing director Taylor Downing and executive producer David Edgar, Flashback Television is best known for its genre-bending series Lost Gardens, a second series of which graced Channels 4’s schedule this autumn. But its vast output includes historical documentaries, drama-docs as well as lifestyle programming including gardening, travel, cooking and leisure programmes. A glimpse of its wide portfolio reveals programmes such as Garden Doctors, Fork to Fork, I Witness: From the Bomb to the Beatles and Race and Women in the 20th Century.

“Trends come and go but ultimately, it’s the high quality that’s going to last,” says Edgar. “I feel we have a comfortable position in the marketplace and that’s evident in our client’s attitude when they work with us. They enjoy the experience because they know we have a strong commitment to getting the money on screen.”

“Our ethos centres around high quality factual programme-making; storytelling and powerful visual impact,” adds Downing. “I think the definition of quality has changed; whereas it might have meant spending three years producing a spectacular one-off programme, our aim is to apply that quality to volume production. I think it’s a challenge we meet well and it shows from the responses we generate.”

Tim Ball, Head of Production and the Company’s new media expert, explains: “Ultimately this is a business operation. But freelancers love working here because they’re working with a very creative team and everyone from producers and runners is key to that team.”

But consistent commissions from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and BskyB aren’t enough for Flashback. The company also produces factual programmes for both the international market and directly for American broadcasters. It has just been given the go-ahead to produce the second series of Battle Stations for US based A&E (Arts and Entertainment Network), a 4 x 1 hour series for The History Channel profiling the men and machines that helped to win the Second World War.

And it doesn’t stop there either. “We’re also the biggest independent re-versioner of shows in the UK”, Edgar continues. “We regularly re-version about 400 hours a year for services such as Channel 4, Channel 5, The History Channel and National Geographic and we’ve just won the contract to re-version over 100 hours of programming for Sky’s recently launched Biography Channel”

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