The Repair Shop maker Ricochet cuts just under a third of staff
The production company behind BBC show The Repair Shop has cut just under a third of its staff, including its creative chief.
Ricochet let around 10 people go several weeks ago, in a round of layoffs reported exclusively by Deadline on 16 October. Those leaving included Damon Pattison, the indie’s creative chief, and Rob Butterfield, who ran its Scotland office.
An indie, meaning an independent production company that makes programmes for broadcasters to air, Ricochet now employs 24 people across offices in Brighton and Glasgow. Joanna Ball remains Managing Director.
Ricochet told Deadline the decision was taken in response to market conditions. It said the cuts were decided long before the Skydance deal closed. A spokeswoman for the company confirmed the layoffs had already taken place but declined further comment.
The cuts affect a well-known name in British factual television. Ricochet produces The Repair Shop for the BBC, the long-running series in which members of the public bring worn objects to be fixed. Its other credits include Guz Khan’s Custom Cars, Ben Fogle’s New Lives in the Wild and Sun, Sea & Selling Houses.
Pattison had joined Ricochet more than two years ago after leaving the UK arm of Beyond Productions. His exit removes a senior creative voice from the business at a period of change for its owner.
Ricochet sits alongside Wall to Wall Media and Twenty Twenty as part of a trio of UK indies linked to Warner that now fall under the Skydance banner. The company has not said whether further changes to staffing or structure are planned.
