Nicola Shindler

Nicola Shindler OBE (born 8 October 1968) is a British television producer and executive,[2] and founder of the independent television drama production company Quay Street Productions,[3] having founded and run Red Production Company[4] from 1998 - 2020. She has won eleven BAFTA TV Awards.[5][6][7]

Nicola Shindler

OBE
Born (1968-10-08) 8 October 1968[1]
Rochdale, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationTV producer
Years active1993–present
Notable work
Queer as Folk
Scott & Bailey
Last Tango in Halifax
Happy Valley
Spouse(s)Matt Greenhalgh
Children3

Early life and education

Shindler was born in Rochdale, England, the daughter of school teacher Gaye Shindler (née Kenton) and solicitor Geoffrey Shindler.[1][8][9] She grew up in the Whitefield area of Greater Manchester.[10]

Shindler attended Bury Grammar School from 1979 to 1987.[11] She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, reading history at the University of Cambridge.[9][12]

Career

Shindler first started out working as a sales manager in the sales department at Royal Court Theatre, which she chose because it was the home of new writing. She eventually started working as a script reader there but realised after a couple of years that she was more interested in the process of writing and working with writers in television versus theatre.[6][13][14]

Shindler then got a job at the BBC as a trainee script editor.[14][15] Part of the responsibilities of that job in the early days was reading scripts that had been accumulating in the basement of the BBC for over 10 years. Shindler says that it was educational and she got a reputation as a hard worker from clearing this huge backlog.[6]

Shindler worked at Granada Television, for whom she first came to prominence as a script editor on the drama series Cracker (1993).[2] She then went on to work as assistant producer on the BBC's Our Friends in the North (1996) and producer on Hillsborough, a dramatised account of the 1989 football stadium disaster.[2] All three starred actor Christopher Eccleston, who subsequently featured in several dramas for Shindler's Red Production Company.

In 1998, Shindler formed Red Production Company – named after the nickname of Shindler's favourite football team, Manchester United – in Manchester.[12] Its first project, with Shindler producing, was writer Russell T Davies' gay drama serial Queer as Folk. Queer as Folk gave Red a reputation as producers of noteworthy drama, and they followed this up with subsequent series for Channel 4 such as Love in the 21st Century (1999) and Queer as Folk 2 (2000).[16]

Red has since produced dramas for BBC One, BBC Two, and ITV including Clocking Off (2000–03), Flesh and Blood (2002), Bob and Rose (2001) and The Second Coming (2003).[17]

In addition to the ITV series, Scott & Bailey, Shindler produced the award-winning Happy Valley, which is set in the Calder Valley and environs and stars Sarah Lancashire.[12]

Sally Wainwright credits Shindler with bringing Last Tango in Halifax to BBC TV.[18]

In December 2013, it was announced that Shindler had sold a majority stake Red Production Company to the French media company StudioCanal.[19][20]

Other productions produced by Shindler at Red are 2016's The Five and 2017's Trust Me,[21] alongside 2018’s Come Home and Harlan Coben’s Safe, 2019’s Years and Years from Russell T. Davies, and Traces, a second series of which is due in 2021, and Harlan Coben’s The Stranger (2020)

Further new dramas produced by executive produced by Shindler due in 2021 include Finding Alice, It’s a Sin, Ridley Road, No Return, Traces Series 2 and Stay Close.

In 2021, Shindler launched new scripted production company Quay Street Productions.[22] Sitting within ITV Studios, the label is based in Central Manchester and focuses on producing premium drama for the UK and international market.[23]

Personal life

Shindler lives and works in Manchester, England.[24] Shindler is married to writer Matt Greenhalgh,[25] with whom she has two daughters and a son.[9]

Honours

Awards
  • 1997: BAFTA TV Award, Best Single Drama for Hillsborough – with Katy Jones, Charles McDougall, Jimmy McGovern
  • 1997: Munich Film Festival, VFF TV Movie Award, Best International Television Production for Hillsborough
  • 2001: BAFTA TV Award, Best Drama Series for Clocking Off – with Ann Harrison-Baxter, Paul Abbott
  • 2002: BAFTA TV Award, Best Drama Serial for Bob & Rose (nomination) – with Ann Harrison-Baxter, Russell T. Davies
  • 2002: BAFTA TV Award, Best Drama Series for Clocking Off (nomination) – with Juliet Charlesworth, Paul Abbott
  • 2003: BAFTA TV Award, Best Drama Series for Clocking Off (nomination) – with Paul Abbott, Juliet Charlesworth
  • 2005: Royal Television Society, RTS Television Award, Best Drama Serial for Conviction (nomination) – with Marc Munden, Bill Gallagher, Ann Harrison-Baxter, David Richards
  • 2008: BAFTA TV Award, Best Single Drama for The Mark of Cain – with Tony Marchant, Lynn Horsford, Marc Munden
  • 2008: Broadcasting Press Guild Award, Best Single Drama for The Mark of Cain (nomination) – with Tony Marchant, Marc Munden, Lynn Horsford
  • 2008: Monte-Carlo TV Festival, Golden Nymph for Best Television Film for The Mark of Cain – with Marc Munden, Lynn Horsford, Tony Marchant
  • 2010: BAFTA TV Award, Best Drama Serial for Unforgiven (nomination) – with Sally Wainwright, Karen Lewis, David Evans
  • 2013: BAFTA TV Award, Best Mini-Series for Last Tango in Halifax – with Sally Wainwright, Euros Lyn, Karen Lewis
  • 2015: BAFTA TV Award, Best Mini-Series for Prey (nomination) – with Nick Murphy, Tom Sherry, Chris Lunt
  • 2017: BAFTA TV Award, Best Drama Series for Happy Valley – with Sally Wainwright. Juliet Charlesworth, Neasa Hardiman
  • 2017: BAFTA Television Craft Award, Best Drama Series for Happy Valley (nomination) – with Sally Wainwright, Juliet Charlesworth, Neasa Hardiman
  • 2017: Banff Rockie Award, Best Mini-Series for Happy Valley (nomination) – with Sally Wainwright, Neasa Hardiman, Juliet Charlesworth
  • 2017: Royal Television Society, RTS Television Award, Best Single Drama for The Mark of Cain (nominated) – with Marc Munden, Lynn Horsford, Tony Marchant
  • 2018: Royal Television Society, RTS Northern Ireland Award, Best Drama for Come Home
  • 2019: Creative Diversity Network Award, Commissioning for Butterfly
  • 2019: Royal Television Society, RTS North West Award, Best Single Drama or Drama Series for Years and Years
  • 2019: BAFTA TV Award, Presented with a Special Award recognising her outstanding contribution to the television industry
  • 2020: Broadcast Award, International Programme Sales for Years and Years

Filmography
  • 1993: Cracker (TV Series) – Script Editor (7 episodes)
  • 1995: Degrees of Error (TV Series) – Script Editor
  • 1996: Our Friends in the North (TV Mini-Series) – Assistant Producer (9 episodes)
  • 1996: Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement (TV Mini-Series) – Assistant Producer (2 episodes)
  • 1996: Hillsborough (TV Movie) – Producer
  • 1999: Heart – Producer
  • 1999: Love in the 21st Century (TV Series) – Creator, Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 1999–2000: Queer as Folk (TV Series) – Producer (10 episodes); Executive Producer (10 episodes)
  • 2001: Now You See Her (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2001: Bob & Rose (TV Series) – Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 2001–2002: Linda Green (TV Series) – Producer (6 episodes); Executive Producer (10 episodes)
  • 2000–2002: Clocking Off (TV Series) – Executive Producer (21 episodes)
  • 2002: Sparkhouse (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2002: Flesh and Blood (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2003: Burn It (TV Series) – Executive Producer
  • 2003: The Second Coming (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (2 episodes)
  • 2003: Indian Dream (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2003–2004: Early Doors (TV Series) – Creative Consultant (12 episodes)
  • 2004: Conviction (TV Series) – Executive Producer (4 episodes)
  • 2004: Mine All Mine (TV Series) – Executive Producer (5 episodes)
  • 2005: Dead Man Weds (TV Series) – Executive Producer
  • 2005: Big Dippers (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2005: Casanova (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2005: Jane Hall (TV Series) – Executive Producer
  • 2006: Magnolia (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2006–2007: New Street Law (TV Series) – Executive Producer (12 episodes)
  • 2007: The Mark of Cain – Executive Producer
  • 2009: Unforgiven (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2010: Acid Burn (Short) – Executive Producer
  • 2010: A Passionate Woman (TV Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2010: Worried About the Boy (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2010: Single Father (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (4 episodes)
  • 2011: Exile (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2011–2012: Bedlam (TV Series) – Executive Producer (12 episodes)
  • 2011–2016: Scott & Bailey (TV Series) – Executive Producer (30 episodes)
  • 2012: Life Stories (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (4 episodes)
  • 2012: Love Life (TV Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2012: The Syndicate (TV Series) – Executive Producer (5 episodes)
  • 2012: Hit & Miss (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 2012: Blackout (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2012: Blood – Producer
  • 2012–2016: Last Tango in Halifax (TV Series) – Executive Producer (20 episodes)
  • 2013: Heading Out (TV Series)– Producer
  • 2013: The Last Witch (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2014: The Driver (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2014–2015: Prey (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (2 episodes)
  • 2014–2016: Happy Valley (TV Series) – Executive Producer (12 episodes)
  • 2015: Tofu (TV Series documentary short) – Executive Producer (8 episodes)
  • 2015: Cucumber (TV Series) – Executive Producer (8 episodes)
  • 2015: Banana (TV Series) – Executive Producer (8 episodes)
  • 2015: Danny and the Human Zoo (TV Movie) – Executive Producer
  • 2016: The Five (TV Series) – Executive Producer (10 episodes)
  • 2016: Paranoid (TV Mini-Series) – Associate Producer (1 episode); Executive Producer (7 episodes)
  • 2016: Ordinary Lies (TV Series) – Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 2017: Trust Me (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (4 episodes)
  • 2018: Come Home (TV Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2018: The Detail (TV Series) – Executive Producer (10 episodes)
  • 2018: Butterfly (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (3 episodes)
  • 2019: Years and Years (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 2019-2020: Traces (TV Series) – Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 2020: The Stranger (TV Series) - Executive Producer (8 episodes)
  • 2021 (post-production): It's a Sin (TV Series) – Executive Producer (5 episodes)
  • 2021 (post-production): Finding Alice (TV Series) – Executive Producer (6 episodes)
  • 2021 (filming): Ridley Road (TV Series) – Executive Producer (4 episodes)
  • 2021 (pre-production): No Return (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer
  • 2021 (pre-production): Stay Close (TV Mini-Series) – Executive Producer

References
  1. "Nicola Shindler: England and Wales Birth Registration Index". FamilySearch. 1968.
  2. Day-Lewis, Sean (1998). Talk of Drama: Views of the Television Dramatist Now and Then. Luton: University of Luton Press/John Libbey Media. ISBN 978-1-860-20512-5. OCLC 474283192.
  3. Elmes2021-01-14T09:28:00, John. "Shindler: Quay St is a step into the unknown". Broadcast. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  4. "Red Production Company | About Us | Red Production Company". www.redproductioncompany.com. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  5. Shindler, Nicola; Whitehead, Dan (20 June 2014). "K7 Media talks to Red Production Company's Nicola Shindler" (Video interview). K7 Media.
  6. Shindler, Nicola (4 December 2012). "Production Theatre, 'Writers' Focus: Developing Successful Scripts for TV' Nicola Shindler, Chief Executive, Red Production Company" (Video interview). BVE North.
  7. Shindler, Nicola; Kearney, Martha (18 September 2015). "Nicola Shindler in conversation with Martha Kearney" (Video interview). Edinburgh International Television Festival.
  8. "'Retire? – I've still got too much to do' says lawyer Geoffrey Shindler". Manchester Evening News. 23 September 2011.
  9. Hume, Lucy, ed. (2017). "Shindler, Nicola". Debrett's People of Today 2017. London, UK: Debrett's Peerage Limited. ISBN 978-1-786-84310-4. OCLC 985347513.
  10. "Producer credits success to voluntary work". Manchester Evening News. 17 February 2007.
  11. "Successful Old Girls: Nicola Shindler (BGSG: 1979 – 1987)". Bury Grammar School.
  12. Perraudin, Frances (24 July 2016). "Happy Valley producer: Gritty north? 'I get very cross about that phrase'". The Guardian.
  13. Jury, Louise (30 October 2001). "Enter the new drama queen". The Independent.
  14. "Media top 100 2003: 48. Nicola Shindler". The Guardian. 6 July 2003.
  15. "Nicola Shindler: 'I was able to fight for a writer's vision'" (Audio radio program clip). Woman's Hour. BBC Radio 4. 22 February 2013.
  16. Thomas, Liz (29 March 2005). "Scarlet woman – Red Productions and Nicola Shindler". The Stage.
  17. Shindler, Nicola; Feller, Emily (9 April 2008). "TV Forum North – A focus on Red Production Company" (Video interview). Screen Yorkshire.
  18. Shindler, Nicola (9 February 2015). "BBC Writersroom Nicola Shindler interview" (Video interview). BBC Writersroom. BBC.
  19. Sweney, Mark (5 December 2013). "Last Tango in Halifax producer sells majority stake to French company". The Guardian.
  20. Barraclough, Leo; Keslassy, Elsa (5 December 2013). "Studiocanal Ramps Up TV Series Biz with RED Acquisition". Variety.
  21. Pickard, Michael (15 September 2017). "Red hot TV". Drama Quarterly.
  22. "Nicola Shindler Launching ITV Studios Banner". The Hollywood Reporter. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  23. "ABOUT". Quay Street Productions. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  24. Dams, Tim (3 December 2013). "Interview: Nicola Shindler, Red Production". Televisual.
  25. Billen, Andrew (November 2016). "Discovering Nicola Shindler: the UK's most secretive TV exec". Royal Television Society.
  26. "Manchester's drama queen". Manchester School of Art. 21 July 2009.
  27. "The Power List 2013". Woman's Hour. BBC Radio 4. 2013.
  28. Anderson, Ariston; Blair, Gavin J.; Caspi, David; Coonan, Clifford; Hecht, John; Ritman, Alex; Roxborough, Scott; Hyo-won, Lee; Szalai, Georg; Vlessing, Etan (11 October 2014). "Hollywood Reporter Names the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global TV". The Hollywood Reporter.
  29. "Happy Valley – Nicola Shindler: 2016 Peabody Award Acceptance Speech". Peabody Award. 28 September 2017.
  30. "Meet the 2017 Women in Film and Television Award Winners – Women in Film & TV". Women in Film & TV. 2017.
  31. "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B14.
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