Celador
Encyclopedia
Celador is a global light entertainment company originally formed as an independent production company in 1983. It has produced a number of popular light entertainment
shows and is probably best known for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
and co-producing the film Slumdog Millionaire
which collected seven masks at the BAFTAS, four Golden Globes and eight Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture in 2009.
. Under the ownership of Complete, Celador expanded its fledgling radio, film and international businesses. Later, Complete Communications announced its intention to sell the company. Around the same time as the sell off of Celador International and the rights and associated properties of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
to Dutch group 2waytraffic, Celador Productions' management completed a buy out of the company.
In 2006, Celador offered the rights and UK programme library of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
for sale, with a view toward the eventual sale of other parts of the business. In 2004 Celador took legal action against Disney for what it claimed were unpaid profits from Disney’s screening of the programme in the US. At a trial by jury in Los Angeles in June 2010 the jury awarded Celador $269m (£177m) in damages after ruling it failed to receive a fair share of profits.
Celador owns nine UK radio stations.
Following the new structure of Celador's previous constituent divisions, Celador Productions is now run by managing director (since 2003) Danielle Lux. Christian Colson left Celador Films as Managing Director in 2009 to form Cloud Nine Films, now re-named Cloud Eight Films, of which Paul Smith
is a Director.
author J. R. R. Tolkien
that, detached from its meaning, "cellar door" has the most marvelous sounds of all words he knew. In his 1955 essay 'English and Welsh', commenting on his affection for the Welsh
language, Tolkien wrote:
'Most English-speaking people...will admit that cellar door is 'beautiful', especially if dissociated from its sense (and from its spelling).
'More beautiful than, say, sky, and far more beautiful than beautiful. Well then, in Welsh for me cellar doors are extraordinarily frequent, and moving to the higher dimension, the words in which there is pleasure in the contemplation of the association of form and sense are abundant.'
There is a scene in the film Donnie Darko
where the teacher, Karen Pommeroy, has written the words "cellar door", on the blackboard, before telling her class, ‘This famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the English language, of all the endless combinations of words in all of history, that Cellar Door is the most beautiful’. When asked about the origin of the phrase, the film’s director, Richard Kelly
, attributes it to Edgar Allan Poe
.
The phrase has been subject to misattribution. The story may be traced to 1989, with R. Lederer's 'Crazy English
' alluding to a survey, conducted in the 1940s, probing the word in the English language
generally thought to be the most beautiful. Contributing to this survey, America
n writer H.L. Mencken supposedly claimed that a Chinese student, who knew little or no English, especially liked the phrase cellar door – not for what it meant, but rather for how it sounded.
Light entertainment
Light entertainment is a term used to describe a broad range of usually televisual performances. These include comedies, variety shows, quiz/game shows, sketch shows and people/surprise shows.-Light entertainment in Britain:...
shows and is probably best known for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
and co-producing the film Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
which collected seven masks at the BAFTAS, four Golden Globes and eight Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture in 2009.
History
Celador was originally taken over by Complete Communications, which bought out shareholders including Paul Smith and Jasper CarrottJasper Carrott
Jasper Carrott OBE is a British comedian, actor, television presenter and personality.-Early life:...
. Under the ownership of Complete, Celador expanded its fledgling radio, film and international businesses. Later, Complete Communications announced its intention to sell the company. Around the same time as the sell off of Celador International and the rights and associated properties of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
to Dutch group 2waytraffic, Celador Productions' management completed a buy out of the company.
In 2006, Celador offered the rights and UK programme library of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
for sale, with a view toward the eventual sale of other parts of the business. In 2004 Celador took legal action against Disney for what it claimed were unpaid profits from Disney’s screening of the programme in the US. At a trial by jury in Los Angeles in June 2010 the jury awarded Celador $269m (£177m) in damages after ruling it failed to receive a fair share of profits.
Celador owns nine UK radio stations.
Television
- All About MeAll About MeAll About Me is a British television sitcom starring Jasper Carrott about a multicultural family living in Birmingham. It was broadcast on BBC One from 2002 to 2004...
BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... - The DetectivesThe DetectivesThe Detectives is a British comedy television series, starring Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, and George Sewell. It was a spoof of police dramas, which were numerous in the 1990s, and it was aired on BBC One...
BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... - Many Jasper Carrott stand up shows, such as Canned CarrottCanned CarrottCanned Carrott was a comedy stand-up and sketch-show by Jasper Carrott. Two of the regular sketches were "Wiggy" and "The Detectives"....
- You Are What You Eat Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
- It's Been a Bad Week BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
topical comedy starring Steve PuntSteve PuntStephen Punt is a British writer, comedian and actor, best known for his long-time comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis. Punt lives in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and two children.-Life and career:...
, Hugh DennisHugh DennisPeter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
, Sue PerkinsSue PerkinsSue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid...
, Mitch BennMitch BennMitch Benn is a British musician and stand-up comedian known for his humorous songs performed on BBC radio. He is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's satirical programme The Now Show, and has hosted other radio shows.Benn has performed at several music festivals, and at the Edinburgh Festival...
& Toby LongworthToby LongworthToby Longworth is a British actor who has appeared on film, radio and television. He is originally from Somerset, where he attended King Edward's School, Bath... - The Hypnotic World of Paul McKennaPaul McKennaPaul McKenna is an English hypnotist and self-improvement author.McKenna has written and produced books and multimedia products, hosted self-improvement television shows and presents seminars in hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming, weight loss and motivation.-Career:Paul McKenna started in...
- National LotteryNational Lottery (United Kingdom)The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
Winning LinesWinning LinesWinning Lines was a National Lottery game show produced by Celador that ran on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 12 June 1999 to 16 October 2004. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo from 1999 to 2000, then Phillip Schofield from 2001 to 2004.... - Richard DiganceRichard DiganceRichard Digance is a comedian and folk singer.- Biography :He studied Mechanical Engineering at Reid Kerr College Paisley, during which time he was inspired by Billy Connolly....
's Greatest Bits - Commercial BreakdownCommercial BreakdownCommercial Breakdown is a BBC/Celador light entertainment television programme which shows humorous television advertisements from around the world.-History:...
- Talking Telephone NumbersTalking Telephone NumbersTalking Telephone Numbers was a British game show that was produced by Celador and Carlton Television and aired on ITV from 28 February 1994 to 22 December 1997, hosted by Phillip Schofield and Emma Forbes, then later Claudia Winkleman, with Cash Peters appearing in filmed inserts .The programme...
- Winning LinesWinning LinesWinning Lines was a National Lottery game show produced by Celador that ran on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 12 June 1999 to 16 October 2004. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo from 1999 to 2000, then Phillip Schofield from 2001 to 2004....
Films
- Dirty Pretty ThingsDirty Pretty Things (film)Dirty Pretty Things is a 2002 film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Steven Knight, a drama about two illegal immigrants in London...
(2002) directed by Stephen Frears and stars Audrey TautouAudrey TautouAudrey Justine Tautou is a French model and film actress, best known for playing the title character in the award-winning 2001 film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, Sophie Neveu in the 2006 thriller The Da Vinci Code, Irène in Priceless and Coco Chanel in Coco avant Chanel...
and Chiwetel EjioforChiwetel EjioforChiwetelu Umeadi "Chiwetel" Ejiofor, OBE is an English actor of stage and screen. He has received numerous acting awards and award nominations, including the 2006 BAFTA Awards Rising Star, three Golden Globe Awards' nominations, and the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his... - Separate LiesSeparate LiesSeparate Lies is a 2005 British drama film directed by Julian Fellowes who also wrote the screenplay, updating the 1951 novel A Way Through the Wood by Nigel Balchin that had already been turned into a stage play under the title Waiting for Gillian in 1957. The film stars Tom Wilkinson, Emily...
(2005) written and directed by Julian FellowesJulian FellowesJulian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
and stars Emily WatsonEmily WatsonEmily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
, Tom WilkinsonTom WilkinsonThomas Geoffrey "Tom" Wilkinson, OBE is a British actor. He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award for his roles in In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton...
and Rupert EverettRupert EverettRupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s... - The DescentThe DescentThe Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who, having entered an unmapped cave system, become trapped, and are hunted by subterranean flesh-eating humanoids....
(2006) directed by Neil MarshallNeil MarshallNeil Marshall is an English film director, editor and screenwriter. Marshall began his career in editing and in 2002 directed his first feature film Dog Soldiers, which became a cult film. He followed up with the critically acclaimed horror film The Descent in 2005...
and stars Shauna MacdonaldShauna MacdonaldShauna Macdonald is a Scottish television and film actress.-Biography:Shauna Macdonald was born in Malaysia and shortly after moved back to her family's native Edinburgh, Scotland, before moving to Glasgow to train at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.She and her husband, the actor Cal...
, Natalie MendozaNatalie MendozaNatalie Jackson Mendoza is a Hong Kong-born Australian-British-Filipina classical theatre-trained actress and musician. She is best known for her role as one of the main characters, Jackie Clunes in the British TV drama Hotel Babylon and as tough girl Juno in the acclaimed horror thriller The...
, Alex ReidAlex ReidAlex Reid is a British actress, born and raised in Cornwall and trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.-Acting:She portrayed the probation officer Sally in E4's Misfits and also the character of Captain Caroline Walsh in Seasons 1 and 2 of ITV's SAS drama Ultimate Force.She played...
, Saskia MulderSaskia MulderSaskia Mulder is a Dutch film and television actress. She is the younger sister of supermodel Karen Mulder.-Career:...
, Nora-Jane Noone and MyAnna BuringMyAnna BuringMyAnna Buring is a Swedish actress best known for appearing in the 2005 horror film The Descent.- Early life :Buring was born in Sweden but grew up in the Middle East... - Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
(2009) (with Fox Searchlight PicturesFox Searchlight PicturesFox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, PathéPathéPathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
and Film4) - The Descent Part 2 (2009)
- The Scouting Book for BoysThe Scouting Book For BoysThe Scouting Book for Boys is a British film directed by Tom Harper, produced by Ivana MacKinnon and written by Jack Thorne. It stars Thomas Turgoose, Holliday Grainger, Rafe Spall, Susan Lynch, Tony Maudsley and Steven Mackintosh. It premiered internationally at the San Sebastien Film Festival and...
(2010)
Theatre
Slumdog Millionaire the Musical is currently in production for launching in London's West End in 2012.The Breeze Network
- The Breeze (South Coast)
- The Breeze (Bristol)
- The Breeze (Bath)
- The Breeze (Bridgwater and West Somerset)
- The Breeze (Warminster)
People
Paul Smith, is Chairman of Celador Entertainment Limited which is the umbrella company for Celador Films, Celador Radio, Celador Theatrical and LUSAMFollowing the new structure of Celador's previous constituent divisions, Celador Productions is now run by managing director (since 2003) Danielle Lux. Christian Colson left Celador Films as Managing Director in 2009 to form Cloud Nine Films, now re-named Cloud Eight Films, of which Paul Smith
Paul Smith
Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist...
is a Director.
Origin of company name
The name is a respelling of the phrase "cellar door", chosen due to a statement of The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
author J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
that, detached from its meaning, "cellar door" has the most marvelous sounds of all words he knew. In his 1955 essay 'English and Welsh', commenting on his affection for the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
language, Tolkien wrote:
'Most English-speaking people...will admit that cellar door is 'beautiful', especially if dissociated from its sense (and from its spelling).
'More beautiful than, say, sky, and far more beautiful than beautiful. Well then, in Welsh for me cellar doors are extraordinarily frequent, and moving to the higher dimension, the words in which there is pleasure in the contemplation of the association of form and sense are abundant.'
There is a scene in the film Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
where the teacher, Karen Pommeroy, has written the words "cellar door", on the blackboard, before telling her class, ‘This famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the English language, of all the endless combinations of words in all of history, that Cellar Door is the most beautiful’. When asked about the origin of the phrase, the film’s director, Richard Kelly
Richard Kelly
Richard Kelly or Kelley may refer to:*Richard Kelly , founder of the Tuam Herald newspaper in 1837*Richard Kelly , American film director, known for 2001's Donnie Darko...
, attributes it to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
.
The phrase has been subject to misattribution. The story may be traced to 1989, with R. Lederer's 'Crazy English
Crazy English
Crazy English is a brand name related to a non-traditional method of learning English in mainland China conceived by Li Yang. Li believes that the traditional way of learning English in China is ineffective. Li Yang's method places heavy emphasis on practicing English orally...
' alluding to a survey, conducted in the 1940s, probing the word in the English language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
generally thought to be the most beautiful. Contributing to this survey, America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n writer H.L. Mencken supposedly claimed that a Chinese student, who knew little or no English, especially liked the phrase cellar door – not for what it meant, but rather for how it sounded.
External links
- Celador holding page
- CPL Productions
- Celador Films
- 2waytraffic, the distributor of Celador programmes and owner of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?; now a subsidiary of Sony Pictures
- thebreeze.com
- www.jackbristol.com
- www.jackradio.com