CPL Productions (formerly Celador) is a British entertainment company originally formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as an independent television production company. It created and produced a number of popular

light entertainment Light entertainment encompasses a broad range of television and radio programming that includes comedies, variety shows, game shows, quiz shows and the like. In Great Britain In the early days of the BBC virtually all broadcast entertainment w ...

shows and is best known for the TV format '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' and the film '' Slumdog Millionaire'' which, in 2009, collected seven BAFTAs, four

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

and eight Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture. The name Celador is a re-spelling of " cellar door", a phrase whose sound is often noted to be particularly euphonious.

History

Celador was founded by Paul Smith, , and included Jasper Carrott as one of its founder shareholders. After establishing itself as a leading UK production company it expanded into TV format licensing, film production and radio station ownership and operation. By 2006, Celador was owned by Complete Communications Corporation, a firm which Smith (who owned 18%) wanted to break up so he could concentrate on radio and film production. Managing director and former 1990s ''Top of the Pops'' presenter Adrian Woolfe wanted to buy the television division outright as part of a management buyout with Danielle Lux, but this was split into parts with Lux completing the buy-out of Celador Productions without Woolfe and the rights to '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''. Celador Productions would be re-named it to CPL, before becoming a division of ProSieben's Red Arrow Studios.

''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''

Celador International and the rights and associated properties of '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' were acquired by Dutch group 2waytraffic, eventually becoming part of Sony Pictures Television. In 2004, Celador commenced legal action against

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...

for what it claimed were unpaid profits from the American version of the programme, licensed by Disney for its ABC TV channel. At a trial by jury in Los Angeles in June 2010, Celador was awarded $269m (£177m) in damages after ruling it failed to receive a fair share of profits.

CPL Productions

As of 2022, CPL Productions is making a new version of ''

You Are What You Eat ''You Are What You Eat'' is a British dieting programme presented by Trisha Goddard and Amir Khan that broadcasts on Channel 5. The show was originally broadcast on Channel 4, before moving to Channel 5 in 2022 for its revived series. Both t ...

'' with Trisha Goddard and Amir Khan for Channel 5 and has teamed up with the Ranga Bee production company to make a six-part comedy series, written and created by Romesh Ranganathan and Benjamin Green for BBC Studios, called ''Avoidance''.

Television

*''Avoidance'' (co-production with Ranga Bee) *'' Married at First Sight'' (UK version) *''

'' (Channel 5 version) *''

A League of Their Own (British game show) ''A League of Their Own'' is a British sports-based comedy panel game that was first broadcast on Sky One (now Sky Max) on 11 March 2010. The show is currently hosted by Romesh Ranganathan and features Jamie Redknapp as a team captain and Mic ...

'' (Sky TV)

Celador Entertainment

Television

*'' All About Me'' *''

Canned Carrott ''Canned Carrott'' is a comedy stand-up and sketch-show by Jasper Carrott. It gave rise to a spin-off series, and made the names of regular contributors Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. Two of the regular sketches were "Wiggy" and "The Detectives" ...

'' (as well as many other stand up shows with Jasper Carrott) *'' Commercial Breakdown'' (originally called ''Carrott's Commercial Breakdown'') *'' The Detectives'' (with Jasper Carrott) *'' Everybody's Equal'' *'' The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna'' *''

It's Been a Bad Week ''It’s Been a Bad Week'' is a British radio comedy on BBC Radio 2, that first broadcast on 11 February 1999. It is presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, and is also referred to as ''Punt and Dennis: It's Been a Bad Week''. More than 100 epi ...

'' *''

The People Versus ''The People Versus'' was a British game show that aired on ITV from 13 August 2000 to 18 June 2002. Series 1 was hosted by Kirsty Young and Series 2 by Kaye Adams. The central format was that the questions were sent in by the viewers. Format ...

'' *'' Richard Digance's Greatest Bits'' *''

Talking Telephone Numbers ''Talking Telephone Numbers'' is a British game show that aired on ITV from 28 February 1994 to 29 December 1997 and was hosted by Phillip Schofield and initially Emma Forbes, who was later replaced by Claudia Winkleman. The show's format feat ...

'' *'' Turn Back Your Body Clock'' *'' Wayne Dobson Close-up'' *'' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (format now owned by

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

under the 2WayTraffic banner) *'' Winning Lines'' *''

'' (Channel 4 version)

Films

*'' Dirty Pretty Things'' (2002) directed by Stephen Frears and starring

Audrey Tautou Audrey Justine Tautou (; born 9 August 1976) is a French actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 18 on television and her feature film debut in '' Venus Beauty Institute'' (1999), for which she received critical acclaim and won the Cés ...

and Chiwetel Ejiofor *''

Separate Lies ''Separate Lies'' is a 2005 British drama film directed by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the screenplay, updating the 1951 novel ''A Way Through the Wood'' by Nigel Balchin, which had already been turned into a stage play under the title '' ...

'' (2005) written and directed by Julian Fellowes and starring

Emily Watson Emily Margaret Watson (born 14 January 1967) is an English actress. She began her career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1992. In 2002, she starred in productions of '' Twelfth Night'' and ''Uncle Vanya'' at the Donmar W ...

, Tom Wilkinson and Rupert Everett *'' The Descent'' (2006) directed by Neil Marshall and starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid,

Saskia Mulder Saskia Mulder (born 18 May 1973 in the Hague) is a Dutch film and television actress. She is the younger sister of model Karen Mulder. Career Mulder appeared in '' The Beach'' and the British horror movie ''The Descent''.Moore, Roger (2006)The ...

Nora-Jane Noone Nora-Jane Noone (born 8 March 1984) is an Irish actress. In 2020, ''The Irish Times'' ranked her 47th on its list of the greatest Irish film actors of all time. She made her screen debut in the drama film ''The Magdalene Sisters'' (2002) and h ...

and

MyAnna Buring MyAnna Buring (; born 22 September 1979 as Anna Margaretha My Rantapää) is a Swedish actress, known for her roles in ''The Descent'', '' Kill List'', '' The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', ''Ripper Street'', ''The Wit ...

*'' Slumdog Millionaire'' (2008) *'' The Descent Part 2'' (2009) *''

The Scouting Book for Boys ''The Scouting Book for Boys'' is a 2009 British drama-thriller film directed by Tom Harper, produced by Ivana MacKinnon, and written by Jack Thorne. It stars Thomas Turgoose, Holliday Grainger, Rafe Spall, Susan Lynch, Tony Maudsley, and St ...

'' (2010) *''

Centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...

'' (2010)

Celador Radio

Celador previously owned twenty-seven UK commercial radio stations including The Breeze and Sam FM networks and Fire Radio. In January 2017 Celador Radio acquired Anglian Radio's five stations (North Norfolk Radio, Radio Norwich, The Beach, Town 102 and Dream 100) which broadcast across the Anglian region. In 2019 Celador Radio disposed of its entire radio division to Bauer Media. The final portfolio comprised the following radio stations, which were sold to Bauer Radio in February 2019.

The Breeze Network

* The Breeze (Andover) *

The Breeze (Bristol) The Breeze (Bristol) was a local radio station serving Bristol. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio South West, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020. History It started out as Kute FM on 105.8 MHz FM in February 1998, be ...

The Breeze (Basingstoke & North Hampshire) The Breeze Basingstoke & North Hampshire was an independent local radio station serving Basingstoke and the surrounding area of North Hampshire. Owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio Network. History Kestrel FM The ...

The Breeze (Bath) The Breeze (Bath) was a local radio station serving Bath, Somerset. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio South West, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020. History Ownerships The Breeze, originally known as Bath FM and initiall ...

* The Breeze (Bridgwater & West Somerset) *

The Breeze (Cheltenham & North Gloucestershire) The Breeze (Cheltenham & North Gloucestershire) was a local radio station serving Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio South West, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020. History The station originally ...

The Breeze (East Hampshire & South West Surrey) Easy Radio South Coast is an Independent Local Radio station based in Southampton, England, owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting. It broadcasts to the South Coast of the England. As of September 2022, the station has a weekly audience of ...

The Breeze (Frome & West Wiltshire) The Breeze (Frome & West Wiltshire) was a local radio station serving Warminster, Westbury / Trowbridge in West Wiltshire / Frome in East Somerset. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio South West, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September ...

* The Breeze (Newbury) * The Breeze (North Dorset) *

The Breeze (North Somerset) The Breeze (North Somerset) was a local radio station serving North Somerset, England. The station was folded into Greatest Hits Radio South West, as part of a rebrand, on 1 September 2020. History The Breeze started life as 107.7 WFM with pr ...

*The Breeze (Portsmouth) *The Breeze (Reading) *The Breeze (Southampton) *The Breeze (South Devon) *The Breeze (Winchester) *

The Breeze (Yeovil & South Somerset) Greatest Hits Radio Somerset (Yeovil) is a local radio station serving Yeovil, South Somerset and West Dorset in England. The station, formerly known as The Breeze (Yeovil and South Somerset), was folded into Greatest Hits Radio South West, as ...

Sam FM Stations

* Sam FM (Bristol) *

Sam FM (South Coast) Nation Radio South Coast is a classic hits radio station broadcasting on 106 Hertz, MHz & 106.6 Hertz, MHz FM, on Digital audio broadcasting, DAB on the South Hampshire multiplex across the The Solent, South Coast of England and on Digital audi ...

Sam FM (Swindon) Sam FM Swindon was a commercial radio station based in Swindon, England, broadcasting on the 107.7 FM frequency. The station was formed by The Local Radio Company, who wanted to create a local radio rival to GWR FM (now Heart). It started in ...

*Sam FM (Thames Valley)

Anglian Radio Network

* Dream 100 FM (

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

) *

Town 102 Town 102 was a radio station serving Ipswich that was owned by Tindle Radio, Anglian Radio Group and Bauer Radio. It broadcast from 2006 to 2020. Launched in 2006, in its later years, Town 102 carried identical content to Anglian Radio sister ...

(

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line ...

) * The Beach ( Great Yarmouth/ Lowestoft) * North Norfolk Radio ( Cromer/ Sheringham) *

Radio Norwich 99.9 Greatest Hits Radio Norfolk & North Suffolk (Norwich) (formerly Radio Norwich 99.9) is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Bauer, broadcasting to Norwich and the surrounding area. The station was merged with North Norfolk ...

(

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

)

Other stations

* Fire Radio (Bournemouth and Poole)

People

Paul Smith, CBE, is Chairman of Celador Entertainment Limited which is the parent company for Celador Films, Celador Radio, Celador Theatrical and Lusam Music. Ellis Watson, was the CEO until 2003. Following the new structure of Celador's previous constituent divisions, Celador Productions, (renamed CPL Productions) is now run by managing director (since 2003) Danielle Lux. Christian Colson left Celador Films as Managing Director in 2009 to form Cloud Nine Films, now renamed Cloud Eight Films. In the last few years, former managing director Adrian Woolfe has teamed up with Claudia Rosencrantz, the person who commissioned ''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'' originally at ITV, to launch the Studio 1 production company and an entertainment news network called LIT, which has been available to stream via

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...

since January 2021.

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.cplproductions.co.uk/ Television production companies of the United Kingdom Film production companies of the United Kingdom Entertainment companies established in 1981