Sarah Beardsall Producer

Sarah has produced 19 episodes of this BAFTA, RTS and ROSE D’OR winning primetime continuing drama; managing crews of 60 people and casts of up to 20 per episode in a fast-paced schedule, on diverse locations and in studio to deliver five BAFTA and RTS shortlisted episodes. Sarah managed script development, hired directors, cast and crew.  She championed diversity in front of and behind the camera; planned and managed major stunts including a 4 camera exploding car/fire-ball sequence; a flat inferno fire sequence, in which 2 cast members attempt to rescue a woman whose clothes are on fire while the building collapses around them; a man who runs into a busy road and is hit by a lorry.  Sarah balances editorial ambition against budget, allocating funds to consistently achieve visually exciting, emotionally resonant episodes, for example, the BAFTA and RTS winning paramedic special episode which demanded multiple locations, a large guest cast and heart-in-mouth emergency driving and emergency medicine sequences. She oversees post production and embraces new production methods such as virtual production for an episode set in Switzerland, shot in Wales, which has won a BAFTA.

Independent Drama Production Company co-founded with Dominic Minghella to work with the best emerging and established writers and directors in the UK to develop and create outstanding film and television drama including The Scapegoat (ITV), and Knightfall S1 (History). Sarah generates IP and oversees a slate of projects for UK and US TV and film including an original television series with Toby Jones, a period feature set in Italy and an adaptation of a book series set in Vermont. She pitches to commissioners in the UK, and studios and producers in the US.  She has raised and managed budgets of up to £2m.  As a short-film producer, she enjoys seeking out and supporting new talent, attaching A list casts (eg Toby Jones, Paapa Essiedu). Festival awards include Flickerfest, Schlingel, Kingston, Sydney, and Underwire – Best Producer nomination.

10 x 1-hour High-End Period Action Adventure Drama set in Medieval France and Palestine.  Sarah selected writers for a US Writers’ Room by liaising with US agents, producers and studio executives to short-list American writers, assessed every sample script and advised the show runner, producers and studio executives on the best combination of writers (Sunny Postiglione, David Elliot, Jason Grote, Vivien Tse, Sharon Hoffman, Russell Rothburg, Sarah Byrd).

Sumptuous period film adaptation of a Daphne Du Maurier novel with an A list cast, which was critically acclaimed when it aired on ITV, The Times calling it ‘A Rolls Royce of a Production’.  It has never been off-air since it was made and in November 2023 it was the most popular British film on Netflix. Sarah found, developed, pitched and won the commission for the film; led the project creatively and as producer on the ground through all stages of script development, production and post; selecting the writer/director (Charles Sturridge), cast (Sheridan Smith in her first drama role, Matthew Rhys, Andrew Scott, Eileen Atkins); and key crew (Julie Clark, Matt Gray, Will Hughes-Jones); negotiating financing, distribution, director, cast and crew deals.

Independent Drama Production Company backed by BBC Worldwide and co-founded with Dominic Minghella and Foz Allan to develop and produce multi-episodic British television. Sarah managed a team developing a slate of drama and comedy for television; negotiated deals and attached writers and talent to the slate; gave notes on all the projects on the slate; created pitch documents pitched the projects to commissioners and reported regularly to BBC Worldwide in her role as chief administrator of the Company.

Sarah cast many high-profile films and television series, liaising with agents and actors to bring talent into the room, managing auditions and working closely with producers and directors to make casting decisions. She negotiated deals and managed cast budgets, and continues to have excellent relationships with talent agents and actors in the UK and USA.

Starring: – Matthew Rhys, Sheridan Smith, Eileen Atkins, Andrew Scott