British television production company
Baby Cow Productions Limited is a British comedy television production company based in London and Manchester, founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal. Since its establishment it has diversified into radio, animation and film. According to their website, Baby Cow "produces bold, high-quality scripted entertainment across all genres for television, film and radio." The company's name is a reference to Coogan's early characters Paul and Pauline Calf.
History.
The company was founded in 1999 by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, with Coogan assuming the role of Creative Director and Normal assuming the role of CEO.
In 2008, BBC Worldwide bought a 25% stake in the company. The acquisition was made at a time when BBC Worldwide was being criticised for its "out of control" ventures, though Normal told "The Guardian" that BBC Worldwide had not made the highest bid.
In April 2016, Normal stood down as CEO and left the full time position. He remained a consultant of the company for the following year and supported the company while they looked to replace him. Coogan then assumed a broader role as part of his transition.
Upon his departure, Normal commented that “After sixteen and a half years I've decided to take a long overdue break from TV and film production to pursue creative endeavours in other fields. I'm very proud to have been part of a company that has nurtured young talent, sought out originality and produced quality award-winning shows year after year. Steve has such a great team around him and with further support from BBC Worldwide, I know Baby Cow will achieve even greater success in the years to come.” Coogan then went on to add that “Henry has devoted himself brilliantly to the company over the years and deserves to pursue more personal projects. I salute him. He leaves behind a passionate team with great taste and the company he co-founded is in a strong place to grow."
Normal was eventually replaced with Christine Langan, who was the CEO until November 2020. She left her role as head of BBC Films for the job. BBC Worldwide then increased their stake in the company to 73% after Normal's departure. Langan has taken an executive producer role on every Baby Cow productions since she took the job including "Camping", "The Killing Machine", "This Time with Alan Partridge" and a new show entitled "The Witchfinder", starring Tim Key and Daisy May Cooper, which premiered in the spring of 2022.
References.
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