Christine Langan

Christine Langan (born January 1965) is an English film producer who was appointed Head of BBC Films in 2009. In 2016, she left the role to become CEO of comedy television production company Baby Cow Productions.

After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987 and working in advertising for three years, Langan joined Granada Television's drama serials department where she served as a script editor for daytime soap operas. She later transferred to Granada's newly created comedy department, where she developed the acclaimed television series Cold Feet, and other one-off comedies. In 2000, she left Granada to become a freelance producer and produced the romantic comedy series Rescue Me for the BBC. She returned to Granada in 2002, producing acclaimed dramas such as The Deal (2003) and Dirty Filthy Love (2004). She made her feature film production debut on Pierrepoint (2005), earning a Carl Foreman Award nomination at the 60th British Academy Film Awards. Langan also produced The Queen (2006) for Granada, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In 2006, Langan became an executive producer at BBC Films, developing features such as The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The Duchess (2008). In April 2009, she was appointed Creative Director of BBC Films, giving her control of a £12 million annual budget and which projects are commissioned for development. By 2010, Langan had led BBC Films to a record 13 nominations at the British Academy Film Awards, which included In the Loop (2009), Fish Tank (2009) and An Education (2009).

Langan lives in London with her partner, the writer Christian Spurrier, and their two children. Her mother and father, a dinner lady and a bricklayer respectively, already had three children. Growing up, Langan became interested in television production after seeing Lew Grade's name in the credits of several programmes. She attended a Catholic grammar school and read English at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987, Langan spent three years working as a copywriter for an advertising company. She also contributed film reviews to BBC Radio 2's Cinema 2 programme.

They devised Cold Feet, another one-off comedy drama based on the love lives of Bullen himself and his friends. Langan produced Cold Feet, guiding Bullen through his script drafts, and hiring Father Ted director Declan Lowney to shoot it. Cold Feet was broadcast in March 1997 as one of four Comedy Premieres on ITV (two others of which Langan script edited). It received poor ratings and little critical reaction. However, in May 1997, it won the Rose d'Or at the Montreux International Television Festival. ITV Network Centre commissioned a series of Cold Feet in August, which Langan also produced. For the series, Langan tried to achieve a written and visual style that differed from regular sitcoms by avoiding "one-liners and quick laughs" and hiring directors who had done little television work before. Cold Feet premiered as a series in November 1998, and Langan stayed until the third series in 2000. Also in 1998, Langan worked on her first feature film, script editing the Parker Posey-led The Misadventures of Margaret. Granada's director of programmes Grant Mansfield countered the BBC's bid by offering Langan the position of deputy controller of drama, operating under Andy Harries, who had recently been appointed controller of the same department. Langan accepted neither offer, and instead became a freelance producer after her contract with Granada expired.

Granada drama In September 2002, Langan signed a new contract to develop new projects at Granada's combined drama, film and comedy department. Her first production was the romantic comedy television film Watermelon, starring Anna Friel. At the end of 2002, she began developing Peter Morgan's The Deal, a dramatisation of the political rise of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Although initially giving full backing, the ITV network backed out during pre-production. Channel 4 picked up the film from Granada, and it was broadcast in September 2003. The Deal was presented with the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama in 2004. The same year, she produced the one-off drama Dirty Filthy Love, which was also nominated for the BAFTA for Best Single Drama.

In 2005, Langan's feature debut Pierrepoint was released at major film festivals. Based on the life of British hangman Albert Pierrepoint (played by Timothy Spall), Pierrepoint got Langan a nomination for the Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 60th British Academy Film Awards in 2007. 2006 saw the theatrical release of The Queen, a feature film follow-up to The Deal, that focused on the impact the death of Diana, Princess of Wales had on Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II. Michael Sheen reprised his role as Tony Blair from The Deal, and Helen Mirren played Elizabeth. The film was produced by Granada in co-operation with the ITV network, and was released in late 2006 to critical acclaim. In 2007, it won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

BBC Films In September 2006, Langan made a low-key departure from Granada to take up a position as an executive producer with BBC Films. Although approached to join BBC Films some years before, only in 2007 did she feel it was the time to "concentrate more exclusively on film". She immediately began overseeing editing work on The Other Boleyn Girl, which was already in post-production. She also began developing The Damned United, a film based on David Peace's novel that fictionalised the 44 days Brian Clough managed Leeds United F.C. in 1974. The film was adapted by Peter Morgan, executive produced by Andy Harries, and starred Michael Sheen as Clough. On why she continues to work with the same people on her projects, Langan said, "The reason I return to working with the same people is that you have invested time, energy and thought and care into these relationships and that can pay dividends—The Queen is an example of those relationships paying dividends". Confirmation was made the following month when she was appointed Commissioning Editor of the company, taking over the day-to-day duties of BBC Films and reporting to Jane Tranter, the Controller of Fiction at the BBC. When Tranter transferred to a BBC Worldwide position in Los Angeles in 2009, the BBC decided not to fill the Controller of Fiction vacancy with a single person. Instead, the responsibilities were divided between four people; Langan became Creative Director of BBC Films, responsible for "editorial strategy and commissioning", and also joined the BBC Fiction board.

By 2010, Langan was overseeing a £12 million annual budget at BBC Films, and had executive produced high-profile films such as In the Loop (Armando Iannucci, 2009), Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold, 2009), and An Education (Lone Scherfig, 2009). BBC Films received 13 nomination at the 63rd British Academy Film Awards, described in the London Evening Standard as a record number.

Through 2011, Langan executive produced Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut Coriolanus, the Marilyn Monroe biopic My Week with Marilyn, and Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Lionel Shriver's novel We Need to Talk About Kevin. The project was in development hell since 2007 until Langan realised BBC Films was trying to get too big a budget to make it with. Ramsay rewrote the script in 2010 to allow a lower budget.

Filmography +Television and films producedYear(s)TitleRoleDescription 1993 Rik Mayall Presents Script editor 1 series of television series 1993 September Song Script editor 1 series of television series 1994 An Evening with Gary Lineker Script editor Television film 1994 A Different Way Home Script editor 1 series of television series 1995 The Perfect Match Assistant producer Television film 1996 True Love Script editor Television pilot 1997 Comedy Premieres: Cold Feet Producer Television pilot 1997 Comedy Premieres: The Grimleys Script editor Television pilot 1997 Comedy Premieres: King Leek Script editor Television pilot 1998 The Misadventures of Margaret Script editor Feature film 1998–2000 Cold Feet Producer/Executive producer 3 series of television series 1999 Passion Killers Executive producer Television pilot 2000 Safe as Houses Executive producer Television film 2000 I Saw You Executive producer Television pilot 2002 I Saw You Executive producer 3-part television series 2002 Rescue Me 2003 Watermelon Executive producer Television film 2003 The Deal Executive producer Television film 2004 Dirty Filthy Love Executive producer Television film 2004 Lie With Me Executive producer 2-part television serial 2005 Pierrepoint Producer Feature film 2006 The Queen Producer Feature film 2008 The Duchess Executive producer Feature film 2008 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Executive producer Feature film 2009 Is Anybody There? Executive producer Feature film 2009 The Damned United Executive producer Feature film 2009 In the Loop Executive producer Feature film 2009 Bright Star Executive producer Feature film 2009 Fish Tank Executive producer Feature film 2010 StreetDance Executive producer Feature film 2010 The Special Relationship Executive producer Television film with territorial theatrical release 2010 Tamara Drewe Executive producer Feature film 2010 Africa United Executive producer Feature film 2010 Made in Dagenham Executive producer Feature film 2011 Jane Eyre Executive producer Feature film 2011 Coriolanus Executive producer Feature film 2011 We Need to Talk About Kevin Executive producer Feature film 2011 Page Eight Executive producer Television film 2011 My Week with Marilyn Executive producer Feature film 2011 360 Executive producer Feature film 2012 Now Is Good Executive producer Feature film 2013 Alan Partridge is in Alpha Papa Executive producer Feature film 2013 Saving Mr. Banks Executive producer Feature film TBA Chivalry Executive producer Television series

Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryTitleResult 1999 British Academy Television Award Best Drama Series Cold Feet Nominated 2003 British Academy Television Award Best Single Drama The Deal Won 2004 British Academy Television Award Best Single Drama Dirty Filthy Love Nominated 2006 British Academy Film Award Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer Pierrepoint Nominated 2006 British Academy Film Award Best Film The Queen Won 2006 British Academy Film Award Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film The Queen Nominated 2006 Academy Award Best Picture The Queen Nominated 2006 Producers Guild of America Award Best Film The Queen Nominated Langan was made Honorary Associate of London Film School.