INTRO   EXEC   FEATURE FILMS   FILM DEV   TV DEV   TALENT TV   ABOUT
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creative director Tony Humphreys
TTV
Talent Television is the successful independent TV production company that gave birth to Talent Films. It was founded in 1995 by former LWT Controller of Entertainment John Kaye Cooper. Tony Humphreys joined Talent TV in 1997 and became its Managing Director in 1999. Talent TV generated an extraordinarily diverse portfolio of TV productions which included 17 Test The Nation live quiz specials, nearly one hundred episodes of the hit children's show Best Of Friends, entertainment and comedy specials and series, a broad range of documentaries, childrens shows, and reversioning of documentaries for the Japanese market.

Talent Television's first major success was The Villa, commissioned by Sky TV, which ran for four series and pioneered reality TV with the use of surveillance cameras in an entertainment format. The series was regularly placed within the top ten most popular shows on cable and satellite and was nominated for an Indies Award. Talent TV also produced Test the Nation which became a hugely popular part of BBC1's scheduling for five years. It was a technical tour de force - using leading edge interactive and web technology within a full evening of live TV.
The Villa promo shot
Test The Nation promo shot
Talent Television is currently developing scripted drama and comedy projects with UK and international broadcasters, see TV DEV and acts as a consultant to international broadcasters on formatted entertainment.
Children's programming became an important part of the company's output. The Disney Channel commissioned Inside Clyde, and this was followed by the hugely popular kids reality show Best of Friends which ran for five series on the BBC's CBBC kids channel. Talent also worked with the Cartoon Network producing the live-action sequences for its cartoon game show Skatoony. In 2012 ITV commissioned My Phone Genie, another live-action series, but this time a comedy targeted at 8-12 year olds. The 26 episodes were shown on ITV's children's channel - CiTV.
My Phone Genie promo shot
Best Of Friends promo shot
Talent has maintained a special focus on producing content for Japan since the late 1990’s when with in-house producer Akifumi Takagi, it made programmes in the Japanese language. Talent’s ties with TV Asahi and NHK led to it selling the Japanese rights and the launch of the Test the Nation format in Japan, where the show was produced with leading Japanese production house, TV Man Union and TV Asahi and broadcast for five years in primetime, during Japan’s Golden week holiday. Talent continues to maintain strong relationships with Japanese producers and networks and continues to advise on formats.
Akifumi Takagi
In 2008 Talent acquired KMB productions which, under the new name Talent South, added several crime documentaries to the portfolio, including two fronted by the presenter Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook and the story of The Krays. When Talent started to focus more on feature films, Talent South was sold back to its original management. Talent Television returned to the development of content for the small screen during the Covid pandemic and is currently in development with a variety of scripted series and new entertainment formats..
My Phone Genie
A live-action series for kids
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CiTV
Jan 2012
Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook
Unravelling the most notorious murders in 20th century Britain
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C & I Network
May 2011
Damilola: Death of a Ten Year Old
An in-depth look at the tragic murder of Damilola Taylor
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C & I Network
Nov 2010
The Krays by Fred Dinenage
The tale of the infamous gangland twins as told by their biographer
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C & I Network
Mar 2010
The National School Quiz
The first ever nationwide online schools quiz
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Becta
Mar 2010
How Clean Is Your Crime Scene ?
Series looking at the business of cleaning up after crimes
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Bravo
Sep 2009
Skatoony - series 3
Live-action and animation kids fun game show
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Cartoon Network
Nov 2008
Everybody Dance Now
Exhilarating dance show reviving the crazes of the past
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ITV
Sep 2008
Best of Friends - series 5
Fifth series of the hit reality show for kids
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CBBC
Apr 2008
An Audience without... Jeremy Beadle
A celebrity packed tribute to one of Britain's great TV entertainers
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ITV
May 2008
Best of Friends - series 4
Fourth series of the hit reality show for kids
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CBBC
Jan 2008
No 1 Soap Fan
Quiz show trying to find the nation's most knowledgeable TV soap fan
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ITV
Dec 2007
Skatoony - series 2
Live-action and animation come together for silly game show fun
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Cartoon Network
Sep 2007
Test the Nation - The National IQ Test 2007
The last of the Test the Nation live quiz specials
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BBC 1
Aug 2007
Mr Miss Pageant
The first UK entrant to a transgender Miss World event held in Thailand
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Channel 4
Apr 2007
Corkscrewed: The Wrath of Grapes
Can TV producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick run a vineyard ?
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Sky One
Mar 2007
Viewer Of The Year 2006
Interactive quiz show recalling the year's TV highlights
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ITV
Dec 2006
Joe Pasquale - Return Of The Love Monkey
With his newly honed, bronzed torso, the squeaky voiced one is back
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2 Entertain
Nov 2006
Skatoony - series 1
Live-action and animation come together for silly game show fun
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Cartoon Network
Oct 2006
9/11: Millionaire Widows
Stories of those who blame compensation for their suffering after 9/11
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Channel 4
Sep 2006
Test the Nation - The National IQ Test 2006
The 16th Test the Nation challenged the public to improve it's IQ
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BBC 1
Sep 2006
The Man With 80 Wives
In search of a man who has a reported 80 wives and 250 children
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Channel 4
Jul 2006
Test the Nation - Know Your Planet Test
This Test the Nation questioned our knowledge of planet Earth
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BBC 1
May 2006
Best of Friends - series 3
Third series of the hit reality show for kids
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CBBC
Sep 2006
Mr Ambassador
essays by the former ambassador John Bruton
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BBC Radio 4
Jan 2006
Test the Nation - The 2005 Test
Questioned our knowledge of the events of the past year
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BBC 1
Dec 2005
Must See TV
Recalling ITV's biggest hit shows for the 50th anniversary
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ITV
Nov 2005
Test the Nation - Know Your English Test
Just how good is your English ?
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BBC 1
Oct 2005
How Euro Are You ?
an interactive TV poll of UK opinion
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BBC 2
Oct 2005
What Did ITV Do For Me ?
The stories of the stars who made their big break with ITV
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ITV
Sep 2005
Test The Nation - The 20th Century Test
Finding out what we can recall about the 20th century
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BBC 1
Jun 2005
Best Of Friends - Africa
Special series filmed in Africa for BBC's Africa Week
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CBBC
Jul 2005
Best Of Friends - series 2
Second series of the hit reality show for kids
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CBBC
Apr 2005
Made in LA
exploring the lives of those looking after LA's super rich
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Sky One
Apr 2005
Test the Nation - The Big Entertainment Test
Probing the national knowledge of the shows and the stars
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BBC 1
Mar 2005
Test The Nation - The 2004 Test
Testing the nation's memory of the year's events
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BBC 1
Dec 2004
Deep Toscana
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​Love, drama and conflict in rural Tuscany (for Japan)
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NHK
Sep 2004
Test The Nation - The Popular Music Test
The first test of the nation's musical knowledge
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BBC 1
Sep 2004
Test The Nation - The 2004 IQ Test
Live interactive national IQ test
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BBC 1
May 2004
Test The Nation - The Great British Test
Live interactive quiz on British history
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BBC 1
Mar 2004
Best Of Friends - series 1
First series of the new kids show for CBBC
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CBBC
Mar 2004
Inside Clyde
An original game show challenge for kids
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Disney UK
Jan 2004
Test The Nation - The 2003 Test
The second live interactive annual quiz of the year
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BBC 1
Dec 2003
Casino Casino
Casino based game show
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Challenge
Dec 2003
The Villa - series 4
The fourth series of the hit reality show
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Sky One
Aug 2003
Test The Nation - The National Quiz
The fifth national interactive TV quiz
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BBC 1
Sep 2003
Test The Nation - The National IQ Test 2003
The second national interactive TV IQ test
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BBC 1
May 2003
TV Scrabble - series 3
Third series of the daily interactive game show
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Challenge
2003
Test The Nation - The National Relationship Test
The third national interactive TV challenge
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BBC 1
Mar 2003
Test The Nation - The National 2002 Test
An end of year national interactive TV quiz
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BBC 1
Dec 2002
The Naked Villa
A compilation from The Villa with unshown footage
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Sky One
Dec 2002
TV Scrabble - series 2
Second series of the daily interactive game show
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Challenge
2002
Turner's Return
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Documentary about restoration at Petworth House (for Japan)
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NHK
2002
Test The Nation - The National IQ Test
The first of the national interactive TV quiz specials
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BBC 1
May 2002
Moet & Chandon Fashion Tribute
A tribute to the designer Philip Treacy
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ITV
Apr 2002
The Villa - series 3
Third series of the reality show (and third 'uncut' series)
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Sky One
Oct 2001
TV Scrabble - series 1
First series of the daily interactive game show
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Challenge
2001
It's Your Funeral - series 2
More celebrities reveal how they would like to say goodbye
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Channel 5
2001
Bill Bailey Bewilderness
The Scottish comic captured in live performance for TV
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Channel 4
2001
European Life - 'Farming on Foreign Soil'
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A British couple start a farm in France (for Japan)
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NHK
Sep 2001
Next!
Giving talent a chance in our mobile high-tech studio
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Sky One
2001
International Fashion Awards
From college to catwalk - a look inside the fashion industry
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ITV
2001
The Villa - series 2
Second series of the reality show (and second 'uncut' series)
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Sky One
Sep 2000
It's Your Funeral - series 1
Celebrities reveal how they would like to say goodbye
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Channel 5
2000
The Making Of 'Witches of Eastwick'
Behind the scenes at the West End stage production
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ITV
2000
Moet & Chandon Fashion Tribute
A tribute to the 'Fashion Targets Breast Cancer' campaign
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ITV
Oct 2000
Jim Davidson - Red, White & Very Blue
Video of the comic's show at London's Hammersmith Apollo
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Vision Video
2000
Off The Blocks
Regional sports magazine for young viewers
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Granada
2000
European Life - 'Willing and Able'
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'Amici' - a dance group of disabled performers (for Japan)
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NHK
2000
Nasty Nick Gets Even
How corruption hit the first series of 'Big Brother'
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Universal Video
2000
The Villa - series 1
The fly-on-the-wall reality show with computer matched youngsters
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Sky One
Oct 1999
Max Power Live
The fastest, the loudest, the most outrageous car show ever
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Sky One
Nov 1999
Moet & Chandon Fashion Tribute
Putting the spotlight on the designer Vivienne Westwood
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ITV
1999
Our Vera
A look at the career of Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn
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ITV
1999
Spaceship Earth Series - 'Reviving Britain's Canals'
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The third of 3 environmental specials (for Japan)
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TV Asahi
1999
50th BAFTA Film & TV Awards
The first independently produced BAFTA Awards ceremony coverage
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ITV
May 1998
Hale & Pace - Oddbods - 'Love' and 'Power Cut'
Two half hour silent comedy style films from the comedy duo
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BBC 1
1998
Hale & Pace - H&P@bbc
Comedy sketch series from Gareth Hale and Norman Pace
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BBC 1
1998
In the Presence of Julian Clary
An entertainment special from the camp comic
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ITV
May 1998
The Making of 'Doctor Dolittle'
Behind the scenes at the stage production
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ITV
1998
Alan Davies - Urban Trauma
Recording of his live performance at the Dutchess Theatre, London
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BBC 1
1998
The Green Danube
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An Austrian documentary reversioned for TV Asahi (Japan)
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TV Asahi
1998
Oysters - Fruits Of The Forest
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A documentary reversioned for TV Asahi (Japan)
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TV Asahi
Sep 1998
Spaceship Earth Series - 'Rooms for Improvement'
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The second of 3 environmental specials (for Japan)
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TV Asahi
1998
Jim Davidson - Xposed
Video comedy special
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Universal Video
1997
Brian Conley's Crazy Christmas
An ITV Christmas special from one of our top comics
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ITV
1997
Bill Bailey Live
The Scottish comic, musician and actor - captured live on stage
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Channel 4
Oct 1997
Miss UK 1997
The broadcast revival of this long standing beauty pageant
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Sky One
1997
The Making Of 'Beauty And The Beast'
Special about the making of the West End musical
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ITV
May 1997
The Making Of 'Buddy'
Video of the making of the West End musical about Buddy Holly
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Video Collection
May 1997
Spaceship Earth Series - 'Saving Britain's Coastline'
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The first of 3 environmental specials (for Japan)
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TV Asahi
1997
Brian Conley Alive & Dangerous
Entertainment special with comedian Brian Conley
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ITV
1996
Liz Dawn's House Party
Entertainment special from Coronation Street's Liz Dawn
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Polygram Video
Nov 1996