Endemol Shine UK announced the addition of a new label to the group. Sharp Jack TV, which will focus on a broad spectrum of entertainment and factual entertainment programming, will be run by ex ITV Studios Creative Heads, Elliot Johnson and Amanda Wilson under the Endemol Shine UK umbrella.

 

Johnson and Wilson set up Sharp Jack Media in 2011 and have made and developed a range of shows for the UK and Ireland including Four Heads, Scorchio and Queer as Pop. They are currently in production with two TX pilots – a dating show, Always the Bridesmaid for TLC UK and social experiment, Raised by the Village for RTÉ One.  This deal sees the pair, whose previous credits include The Chase, Four Weddings and Who Dares Sings, join Endemol Shine UK as Joint Managing Directors of Sharp Jack TV, along with their existing IP and developments, to build the label within the UK group.

 

Lucinda Hicks, COO Endemol Shine UK said; “Amanda and Elliot are a brilliant creative team, highly regarded throughout the industry and bursting with ideas, so we are delighted that they are joining us. Nurturing creativity and talent is integral to our business, and with the support of the wider Endemol Shine group, I’m confident that their ideas will fly both in the UK and beyond.”

 

Prior to being Creative Head of Entertainment Development at ITV Studios, Amanda set up and ran Tinderbox Television for the Avalon Group and also headed up the BBC development team which developed and formatted Strictly Come Dancing.

Amanda has worked widely in entertainment producing Saturday night game shows for Hat Trick Productions including The Waiting Game which she also devised.

Elliot started his career in the music industry producing pop videos for the likes of Bjork, Massive Attack and Smashing Pumpkins and producing music programming for the BBC including Top of the Pops, Bowie at the Beeb and Glastonbury for the BBC.  He joined Tinderbox, where he met Amanda, before the pair moved to run development at ITV Studios.