NERDs launch new UK indie

March 11, 2010 by Lindsay Gibb

Former Tiger Aspect executive producer, Jago Lee, and former Raw Television head of development, John Farrar are teaming up to found a new UK indie prodco, New Entertainment Research and Design (NERD).

Lee and Farrar (pictured) say their intention for NERD is to focus on documentary and entertainment formats. ‘We feel there is a hunger in the industry for a new, more collaborative approach to ideas,’ says Lee. ‘NERD is built on a tailored approach to development and production – we’re aiming to achieve a perfect match of idea, talent and funding model project by project, and to create shows that are as irresistible in terms of value as they are in content.’

Lee enters this partnership with experience as both head of development and, later, director of documentaries at Tiger Aspect. More recently Lee worked on such documentaries as the Grierson nominated doc The Lion Cub from Harrods for Five and the drama-doc he created with Blink Films, When Boris Met Dave for Channel 4.

Farrar has held a number of positions at UK indies such as senior development producer at Somethin’ Else, and key creative roles at TalkbackThames and Tiger Aspect. He later joined Raw Television where he worked on projects such as After Armageddon for The History Channel and Wild Things for Channel 4.

The company has already set up coproduction partnerships for its more ambitious, large scale productions currently in development. In addition to docs and formats, NERD will also dabble in scripted projects such as comedies and factual-based dramas.

‘Above all, NERD is driven by a passion for distinctive ideas for television and beyond,’ says Lee.