David P. Davis to launch new scripted label 5 Acts Productions with ITV Studios

Executive producer of critically-acclaimed HBO and BBC drama, Industry, David P. Davis to launch new scripted label 5 Acts Productions with ITV Studios

•  5 Acts Productions becomes first label to launch with Patrick Spence’s Studio

18th November 2021 - ITV Studios today announces that David P. Davis, executive producer of the critically-acclaimed HBO and BBC drama, Industry, is joining the Group to launch 5 Acts Productions, the first label under the umbrella of Patrick Spence’s scripted Studio.

Based in Cardiff, 5 Acts Productions will be led by Davis as Creative Director and will focus on producing diverse drama for the domestic and international markets. 5 Acts Productions becomes the first label to be established within Spence’s Studio which, as well as Spence developing and producing his own premium drama, was also set up to attract new talent to make their home there.

Davis joins from Bad Wolf where, in addition to Industry, he worked across the development of an array of projects for a mix of domestic and international broadcasters. Prior to Bad Wolf, he worked for Left Bank on the Sony, Amazon & Channel 4 Philip K. Dick drama, Electric Dreams, working with some of the finest writers and directors in the UK today including Jack Thorne, David Farr, Toni Grisoni, Matthew Graham, Julian Jarrold and Marc Munden.

Previously he worked on series 8 and 9 of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who, where he was part of the script team that launched Peter Capaldi’s Doctor, working with writers including Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Toby Whithouse, Jamie Mathieson, Cath Tregenna, Peter Harness and Mark Gatiss, and directors such as Douglas Mackinnon, Rachel Talalay, Paul Wilmshurst and Ben Wheatley, having started his career in the BBC’s Continuing Drama department, working across both Holby City and Casualty.

Davis said: "I’m thrilled to be joining ITV Studios to launch 5 Acts Productions. From the moment I started discussions with Patrick and Julian, I realised this was a unique opportunity to give diverse storytelling a natural home.

“I look forward to collaborating with writers and directors on their passion projects that might have been overlooked or misunderstood elsewhere. My focus will be on championing diversity in the purest sense of the word; I want to tell my stories, your stories, all stories, with great characters in 5 Acts."

Patrick Spence said: “David represents everything we have been looking for: a passion for stories that have not yet been told, the talent to bring them to life and a vision for a new UK business that could actively enhance our industry.”

Julian Bellamy, MD, ITV Studios, said: "David joining us and launching the first label under Patrick's Studio is fantastic news. Having heard David describe his vision and ambitions for 5 Acts Productions, I'm really excited about what comes next."

5 Acts Productions becomes the latest scripted label within ITV Studios, which continues to grow its UK scripted business, with the arrival of Spence and the launches of Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions and Dominic-Treadwell-Collins’ Happy Prince over the past couple of years adding to the list of award-winning companies within the Group which include World Productions, Mammoth Screen, Tall Story Pictures, Silverprint Pictures and Jeff Pope’s Factual Drama label.

International distribution for 5 Acts Productions will be handled by ITV Studios.

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