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Andrew Harries Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005. Volume 15, page 1493, reg # 792. (born 7 April 1954) is chief executive and co-founder of Left Bank Pictures, a UK based production company formed in 2007. In a career spanning four decades he has produced television dramas including The Royle Family, Cold Feet, the revivals of Prime Suspect and Cracker, as well as the BAFTA-winning television play The Deal.
In 2006 he received an Academy Award nomination as producer of The Queen, which saw Helen Mirren win Best Actress for her role, and in 2007, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awarded him the Special Award in Honour of Alan Clarke. 2011 saw the Royal Television Society confer a Fellowship on Harries for outstanding contributions to the broadcasting industry. He has been described by Broadcast Magazine as "one of the UK's most outstanding drama producers".
Since 2007, Left Bank has produced the television series Wallander, Strike Back, Outlander (TV series), The Replacement amongst many other acclaimed dramas.
In 2016, they released The Crown, the first American-British television series produced exclusively for Netflix. The Golden Globe, SAG and Emmy winning series, written by Peter Morgan, has been very well received by critics and audiences.
Their fourth feature film, Dark River was released on 23 February 2018. It was written and directed by Clio Barnard, stars Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, and Sean Bean. It screened in the Platform section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.
Left Bank Pictures has won numerous industry awards, including Best Independent Production Company at the Edinburgh TV Awards (2017) and Broadcast Awards (2018).
Harries stayed at Hull until he was 21, though continued to work at the Evening Telegraph during holidays. At university he developed an interest in music journalism and found an outlet for this by writing reviews for Melody Maker.
Shortly after being hired he was taken aside by the news producer and asked to read the on-air bulletin for the nightly broadcast. He read the news for three months until one night when he condensed a six-minute bulletin into three minutes. He attributed this to stage fright, which caused him to speak too fast. The rest of the production crew were not ready to move on to the next news items, leaving Harries standing in silence for several minutes. Harries recalled in a 2007 interview that Steve Morrison, the producer of the bulletin, called him into his office and berated him, telling him he did not deserve to be on television and that he would no longer be reading the news. Morrison's remarks angered Harries to such a point that he assaulted the man. Aware that he was going to lose his job, he contacted a Granada colleague who got him a new job at Granada's London centre, which he took up at the age of 23.
Pursuing his interest in investigative journalism, Harries worked as a researcher on the current affairs programme World in Action, where he met Paul Greengrass. While Greengrass achieved success in exposing alleged corruption involving Manchester United F.C. chairman Louis Edwards, Harries investigated irregularities in the British Singles Chart. Greengrass's investigation was a success, though Harries admits his own programme "didn't make a blind bit of difference".
Harries formed a production company called Sleeping Partners with Greengrass in the latter part of the decade, which produced Ross's The Incredibly Strange Film Show and comedian Lenny Henry's Lenny Live and Unleashed film.Dawtrey, Adam (24 February 2007). " 'Queen' gives Harries his independence". Variety (Reed Business Information). The latter was directed by Harries and was edited together from a number of performances by Henry at the Hackney Empire in 1989. The Guardians film critic called the direction "unobtrusive".Malcolm, Derek (27 July 1989). "The family at war". The Guardian (Guardian Newspapers): p. 23.
The 1990s began with more direction and production for Ross and Marke's Channel X production company; in 1991 he made the documentary Viva Elvis! and executive produced Middlemarch Films' The Ghosts of Oxford Street, a musical film about Oxford Street's history. The script for Ghosts was written by Harries's wife, Rebecca Frayn. The same year, he developed a script with Peter Morgan called Bhundu Beat, a film described by Variety as "a bizarre remake of A Hard Day's Night featuring the briefly fashionable Zimbabwean band the Bhundu Boys and Brit comic Lenny Henry". With a development budget of Pound sterling2,000, Harries sent Morgan on a research trip to Zimbabwe, taking a circuitous route that lasted for three days. Bhundu Beat was never made.
In 1994, after turning down an offer for "the number three position" at Channel 4 and extending his contract with Granada to become controller of entertainment and comedy, he commissioned The Mrs Merton Show from Aherne.Staff (23 February 1994). "Quick tales". Evening Standard (Associated Newspapers): p. 47. In negotiating a second series with the BBC a few years later, another series from Aherne was included; The Royle Family, a sitcom featuring a working-class northern family, aired on BBC One from 1998 to 2000. The first two episodes were filmed with a studio audience, something Harries did not approve of. He scrapped these episodes and had them refilmed without a laugh track.Gibson, Janine (1 November 1999). " Laugh? You will". The Guardian (Guardian News & Media): p. 4 ( MediaGuardian supplement).Harries, Andy (19 August 2011). "The 10 secrets of making great drama – by a master". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group): p. 38 ( Review section). The Royle Family returned for a one-off special in 2006, an achievement Harries described as giving him no greater pleasure. A spin-off of The Mrs Merton Show was commissioned by Harries from Aherne in 1999; Mrs Merton and Malcolm was based around Mrs Merton and her son Malcolm, played by Craig Cash. The programme was Aherne's first critical failure, which Harries blamed on the BBC One schedulers.
In 1995 he commissioned a comedy drama on spec script from Mike Bullen, a BBC radio producer and first-time writer. Like An Evening with Gary Lineker, The Perfect Match was based around football and received respectable reviews. Harries was interested in producing more comedy dramas, based on the success of American programmes like Thirtysomething, and assigned Granada producer Christine Langan to work with Bullen. Langan and Bullen developed Cold Feet, which was broadcast in 1997 and was commissioned for a full series in 1998.Carter, Meg (9 November 1998). " On Air: Our friends in the North". The Independent (Independent Newspapers). It won the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2002, which Harries collected with Bullen and Spencer Campbell.Staff (21 April 2002). " Baftas 2002: The winners". BBC News Online. Retrieved on 2 March 2008. Harries executive produced two more series of Bullen's; Life Begins (2004–2006) and All About George (2005).
His first panel show produced came in 1999 with Mel and Sue's Casting Couch. The show was Mel and Sue's first programme made for ITV following the success of Light Lunch for Channel 4. Casting Couch had low viewing figures and was not recommissioned. It was one of several comedies commissioned by Harries in 1999 that were produced by Justin Judd. Others included Dark Ages and My Wonderful Life. Judd and Harries began developing Dark Ages—a sitcom set at the turn of the 2nd millennium—in 1997 but could not make it work with the writer at the time. They proposed it to Red Dwarf writer Rob Grant, who liked the idea, and wrote all six episodes. Dark Ages aired nightly during the Christmas 1999 period. A second series was proposed—Harries said it would "hit its stride" then—but ITV did not recommission it. My Wonderful Life was another ratings disaster. Harries blamed ITV Network Centre and publicly criticised the network, courting the ire of its director of channels David Liddiment.
2003 was a significant year for Harries's drama output; Peter Morgan approached Granada with an idea for a drama documenting the conjectured Blair-Brown deal between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before the 1994 Labour Party leadership election. Granada's chief executive Charles Allen was not keen on producing The Deal but Harries and John Whiston persuaded him otherwise.Walker, Tim (30 March 2003). "Rivals no longer". The Sunday Times (Times Newspapers): p. 40. ITV initially agreed to show it but pulled out before filming began. Harries offered it to Channel 4, who took it within 24 hours.Wells, Matt (2 April 2003). " ITV ditches Blair-Brown drama". MediaGuardian (Guardian News & Media). Retrieved on 2 March 2008. The Deal was a critical success and won the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama.Staff (28 April 2004). " Bafta TV Award 2004 winners". BBC News Online. Retrieved on 2 March 2008. That same year Harries brought back the drama serial Prime Suspect, which had not been produced since the star Helen Mirren quit in 1995. Mirren agreed to return for Prime Suspect: The Last Witness only if it was "about something". Two years later it returned for the seventh and final serial, entitled The Final Act, in which Jane Tennison, Mirren's character, confronts her alcoholism in a sub-plot. Lynda La Plante, who created Prime Suspect in 1989, was critical of the decision to "make Tennison a drunk", though Harries rebutted, saying, "Lynda was the one who started Jane Tennison drinking heavily—it's not out of character".Midgely, Neil (28 October 2006). " How Mirren saved Jane Tennison's life". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group). In 2004, Harries was ranked number eleven on a list of the most powerful figures in British TV drama, compiled by industry experts for the Radio Times.Staff (5 July 2004). " Julie Walters Wins TV "Power" Award". Sky News. Retrieved on 27 February 2010.
During the read-throughs for The Last Witness Harries watched other actors and production staff react to Mirren as if she was "like the Queen". Already in pre-production was a follow-up to The Deal that would focus on the royal family in the week following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Peter Morgan was due to return as the writer, Stephen Frears was signed on as director and Harries suggested to Mirren that she play the Queen. Mirren agreed and the film, co-produced by Granada and Pathé, was released in September 2006. Among the numerous awards for which it was nominated were the BAFTA Award for Best Film and the Academy Award for Best Picture (the former it won). Despite the success of the film, Harries once again expressed disappointment with ITV for not giving enough backing. In an interview the month before The Queen was released he criticised the management of ITV for being deeply complacent and arrogant, and expressed disappointment that drama on the channel was not as good as it once was.Brown, Maggie (21 August 2006). " She's back—and not a moment too soon for ITV". The Guardian (Guardian News & Media): p. 3 ( MediaGuardian supplement). At the end of the year he announced that he would not be renewing his contract with the company. Entertainment industry commentators suggested that he would set up his own independent production company.Deans, Jason (11 December 2006). " ITV's Harries mulls move to indie sector". MediaGuardian (Guardian News & Media). Retrieved on 2 March 2008.
In 2009, Left Bank's first feature film, The Damned United (adapted by Peter Morgan from the David Peace novel) was released.Dawtrey, Adam (24 April 2008). " Sony scores 'Damned United'". Variety (Reed Business Information). Also broadcast in 2009 was the comedy series School of Comedy and the crime drama Father & Son.Parker, Robin (12 September 2008). " E4 opens School of Comedy". Broadcast (Emap Media).Holmwood, Leigh (7 October 2008). " Queen producer Andy Harries to make drama for former employer ITV". guardian.co.uk (Guardian News & Media). Retrieved on 26 February 2009. Comedy drama series Married Single Other was filmed for ITV and was broadcast in 2010. Harries executive produced the third part of Peter Morgan's "Blair trilogy", The Special Relationship, for HBO Films and BBC Films. It was first broadcast on the HBO networks in the United States in May 2010.Lowry, Brian (21 May 2010). " The Special Relationship". Variety.com (Reed Business Information). Retrieved on 28 May 2010.
On 23 August 2012, Sony Pictures Television acquired a majority stake in Left Bank."The Telegraph" Sony takes stake in Left Bank telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2012
In 2017, Left Bank produced The Replacement for BBC One which went on to win Best Television Scripted at BAFTA Scotland.
The Crown is Left Bank's biggest project to date, the first American-British television series produced exclusively for Netflix. The series has received wide critical acclaim, awards include; Golden Globes for Best Television Series (Drama) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Drama), Screen Actor's Guild Award for Claire Foy, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in both 2017 and 2018 and an Primetime Emmy Award for John Lithgow, Outstanding Supporting Actor – Drama Series.
Left Bank's fourth feature film Dark River was released on 23 February 2018. Written and directed by Clio Barnard, it stars Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, and Sean Bean. It screened in the Platform section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.
Left Bank Pictures has won various industry awards, including Best Independent Production Company at the Edinburgh TV Awards (2017) and Broadcast Awards (2018).
The Royal Television Society conferred a Fellowship on Harries on 23 May 2011 for outstanding contributions to the broadcasting industry." RTS Awards Fellowships ". 4rfv.co.uk. 17 January 2011. Retrieved on 17 January 2011.
Harries was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to film and television.
After producing a South Bank Show profile and The Ghosts of Oxford Street, Harries remained good friends with Malcolm McLaren, and spoke at his funeral in April 2010.
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