Renowned Films is a London based creative production company backed by US studio Critical Content. Renowned is fast establishing itself as a leader in high end factual and factual entertainment programming.
In 2015, Channel 4 took an equity stake in Renowned Films as part of the networks £20 million Growth Fund. In 2017, Critical Content acquired the stake from Channel 4 and provided additional growth capital, thereby setting up Renowned as one of the most promising and fast growing indie production companies in the UK
Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh (aka The Jay & Tony Show) have made a career out of taking bold ideas and making them fun, fresh and, most importantly, relatable. From a cross country music competition with Missy Elliot to a groundbreaking comedy series with Chelsea Handler to a classic hidden-camera food show Restaurant Stakeout to a late-night cult hit Gigolos, Jay & Tony deliver a lot of heart and a lot of laughs.
Donovan Jerome Leitch is an English-born actor and documentary maker who has served as an executive producer on Showtime’s NAKED SNCTM and AXS TV’s BREAKING BAND. He has produced several documentaries including SUNSET STRIP, THE LAST PARTY, and SCHMATTA: RAGS TO RICHES TO RAGS
This POD is overseen by James, J. Gutierrez, a 19 year veteran of television. Prior to joining Critical Content, Gutierrez was a showrunner for MTV, Spike, TruTV & Discovery. He’s sold 13 concepts including two series, Billy Bob’s Gags to Riches for Discovery & Black Jesus on Adult Swim. This POD is named after the fictional Sopranos character, Noah Tannenbaum, a pretentious film student who was Meadow Soprano’s first college boyfriend.
Luau is a partnership formed by two veteran non-scripted producers, Matt Duff & Jeff Parker, who have a knack for discovering amazing talent and creating compelling television. Luau was created in late 2010 after the founding partners met and became the first production crew to capture a PIT Maneuver from inside a police vehicle after a hell-raising, high-speed chase in rural Maryland. Luau has since focused its sights on creating and developing unscripted, original content by discovering some of television’s most unique casts including Buckwild and Slednecks for MTV and Hot Grits for VH1.
Gunnar Wetterberg who is the President of shingle LIT CONTENT has had a prolific career in television as an executive producer, showrunner, and content creator. He has created and sold shows to the full spectrum of both broadcast and cable networks, including; NBC, ABC, CW, FX, The History Channel, Discovery, TLC, Bravo, E! etc. spearheading the creation of such hit formats as Top Chef on Bravo and Treasure Hunters on NBC. He also created and showran Sony Pictures Television’s game show franchise Russian Roulette, which has been produced in over 35 countries.
Hoosick Falls Productions, helmed by George Verschoor, specializes in groundbreaking unscripted programming. Considered one of the pioneers of non-fiction programming, George developed, produced and directed the first four seasons of MTV’s groundbreaking series THE REAL WORLD. Most recently at Critical Content, Verschoor created and is currently showrunning a new makeover series for Netflix, STAY HERE. Previous to that, he was the show runner on HOME FREE (Fox), EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (ABC), and BUILDING WILD (Nat Geo).
Get Lifted Film Co. is a film and television production company based in Los Angeles with principals John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius. Get Lifted has developed television projects with major networks including ABC, NBC, FOX, HBO, Showtime, Netflix and MTV. The company served as executive producers on Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning musical La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, and Richard Tanne’s Obama romance, Southside With You. Get Lifted is currently in a first-look scripted deal with Sony Television and an overall unscripted deal with Critical Content.
David Metzler is an Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer, Showrunner and Director. He is best known for co-creating, producing and directing the runaway Bravo hit, QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY, and for showrunning MTV’s current hit CATFISH: THE TV SHOW. QUEER EYE earned Metzler a Primetime Emmy Award, a second Emmy nomination, the Producer’s Guild of America’s Producer of the Year Award and two GLAAD Media Awards. He also created and executive produced Sundance Channel’s critically acclaimed BIG IDEAS FOR A SMALL PLANET, which won the Environmental Media Award for Best Documentary.
Michael Holstein began his career in Miami, where he wrote for HBO’s The Wire, and worked in marketing and promotions on films such as The Rockand Independence Day. After a brief stint as a lawyer, and prior to focusing on creation and marketing of television and video content, Michael worked in music, managing and promoting bands, and co-owning a Nashville-based record label, SuperStar Records. He was also VP of Communications & Business Affairs for Troika Productions, a producer of Broadway, travelling and Las Vegas musical productions.
Michael returned to television in 2007, overseeing business affairs and producing for WETA-TV, one of the nation’s largest public television producers, where he worked on hundreds of shows, including In Performance At the White House, The PBS NewsHour, Finding Your Rootsand the documentaries of Ken Burns. Michael serves as Chief Content Officer The Content Farm, with offices in Washington D.C., New York and New Orleans, where he directs and produces award-winning content for cable, digital, linear TV and social media platforms, and has placed shows on Travel Channel, Ovation, Food Network, PBS, Bravo and others. Michael is presently in production on a Ray Charles tribute concert with the Grand Old Opry, and also working under an overall development and production deal with Los Angles’ Critical Content.
Michael was a communications major at The University of Miami, received his law degree from Catholic University, and has taught The Business of Entertainment at UCLA. Michael is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, the Grammys, and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and the Bar Associations of Virginia and the District of Columbia. A DC native, Michael enjoys rock climbing, surfing, and enthusiastically supports the Manchester City Football Club, the New Orleans Saints and The University of Miami Hurricanes.
Berman has been making television history for years including the very first LIVE reveal on the season finale of Survivor on CBS to his most recent production of the epic National Geographic, world-wide live event, Earth Live. He’s continued to push the envelope in live television broadcasting over a career that has resulted in some of the most highly rated and groundbreaking shows in television history while logging more than 6000 hours of live network television and receiving four Emmy® awards.
Howie Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years. Mandel is executive producer of many shows through his production company Alevy Productions, which has produced the series Take It All and Howie Do It for NBC, Deal With It for TBS and Mobbed for FOX, among others.