ITV Studios Buys Majority Stake in ‘Sherlock’ Producer Hartswood Films

ITV Studios has acquired a majority stake in Hartswood Films, the award-winning production company behind such hit scripted series as the recent ITVX and ITV1 drama Douglas Is Cancelled , Prime Video’s psychological thriller The Devil’s Hour, and the BBC’s Sherlock , starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

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The news was unveiled on Thursday as ITV, led by CEO Carolyn McCall, provided a mid-year financial and operational update.

Based in London and Cardiff, Hartswood Films was founded in 1979 by Beryl Vertue. That makes it the longest-established scripted producer in the U.K., the companies said.

Led by CEO and executive producer Sue Vertue, alongside director of operations Debbie Vertue, managing director Dan Cheesbrough, and creative director and executive producer Steven Moffat, Hartswood Films has a broad slate of drama and comedy series that it has produced for global broadcasters and streamers, including Netflix.

Recent series also include Dracula and the mini-series thriller Inside Man , both for the BBC and Netflix, as well as Wolf and The Control Room for the BBC. Sherlock , which ran for four seasons and won nine Emmys, has sold to over 200 territories worldwide.

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International distribution for future Hartswood commissions will be handled by ITV Studios.

“From Men Behaving Badly to Sherlock , The Devil’s Hour to Douglas Is Cancelled , Hartswood Films has been a huge part of the TV landscape for decades,” said Julian Bellamy, managing director, ITV Studios. “They have a hard-won reputation for being brilliant producers of quality, ambitious, and highly successful scripted television.”

Said Sue Vertue: “Hartswood are not known for making rash decisions and it’s taken us 40 years to make this one: we are delighted therefore to have chosen to team up with ITV Studios.”

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