Euston Films is a Britishfilm andtelevision production company. It was originally asubsidiary ofThames Television, and operated from 1971 to 1994, producing various series for Thames, which were screened nationally on theITV network. Euston Films productions includeVan der Valk (1977),The Sweeney (1975–1978),Minder (1979–1994),Quatermass (1979),Danger UXB (1979), andReilly, Ace of Spies (1983).The Sweeney had two feature film spin-offs,Sweeney! andSweeney 2, which were also produced by Euston.

In 2014, Euston Films was revived as a production company by the owner of Thames,Fremantle.

The idea for Euston Films dated back to 1965, when writerTrevor Preston and directorsJim Goddard and Terry Green were working atABC Television. They produced a detailed proposal for a specialist production unit that shot dramas on 16mm film, rather than standard videotape.^[1]

The company was founded in 1971 when three Thamesexecutives, Lloyd Shirley, George Taylor andBrian Tesler realised there was a market for a new type of television drama. To facilitate this new-style of on-location action, Euston used two crews filming different scenes of the same programme at the same time, which ensured production times were quicker. Euston eschewed the studiovideotape shooting more commonly used in British television drama at the time, and material was filmed on location using the more expensive but higher-quality16mm film stock.

Initial shows such asSpecial Branch gained reasonable praise, but it wasThe Sweeney that first gave the company critical and commercial success. Using a storyline style known as "kick, bollock and scramble", this formula continued in such shows asFox andWidows. In 1979, the company createdMinder as avehicle forSweeney starDennis Waterman, giving the company its longest-running show. In September 1986, Euston Films announced it would increase its production of theatrical films in a joint venture withFilm Four International.^[2]

With the demise of parent company Thames as an ITV broadcast franchise holder in 1992, Euston's output reduced. It continued to makeMinder for ITV franchiseeCentral Independent Television, but when this series was axed in 1994, further work was not forthcoming.

Euston Films was based atColet Court inHammersmith, London.

In September 2024, it was announced that all staff at Euston Films were laid off, with the Euston brand and IPs remaining at Fremantle.^[3]

In March 2014, it was announced thatFremantleMedia (who had relaunched theThames brand two years earlier) was to revive Euston Films as a production company.^[4] Former BBC drama executiveKate Harwood was recruited to take charge of the company.^[4] In December 2015, Euston announced it had secured a commission of a new drama series titledHard Sun, written byNeil Cross, the creator ofLuther. Filming took place in and around London, and the series was transmitted in early 2018.^[5] In July 2017, Channel 4 announced a new crime thriller calledBaghdad Central would be produced byEuston Films.^[6]

Euston Films launched a second production company calledEuston North in January 2017. While the company carries on with their work in London and the South of England, theMediaCityUK-based Euston North focuses on productions in Manchester and the North of England.^[7][8][9] On 7 June 2019, Euston North was renamedCastlefield.^[10]

• Roddy BuxtonCinema for Television - TMC Behind the Screens.
• Ian JonesThis article terminates here: A journey through Euston Films - offthetelly.co.uk. March 2006.
• John WilliamsEuston Films - BFI Screenonline.

• RTL Group
• Mass media companies established in 1971
• Mass media companies disestablished in 1994
• Television production companies of the United Kingdom
• Television series by Euston Films

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