1999
Rola Bauer and Tim Halkin set up Tandem Communications (TC) and subsidiary Tandem Productions (TP).
Frank Herbert’s “Dune” marks TC’s first major co-production with ABC Studios, sparking excellent ratings in the U.S., Germany and France and winning a Primetime Emmy Award.
2000
TC signs multi-year representation deal with Lionsgate to handle its European TV rights and build up its co-productions.
2001
TC co-finances for ABC mini “Superfire” and TV movie “Final Run” for CBS Network.
2002
TC/TP works with James Cameron on two doc projects: “James Cameron’s Vision” for RTL and with Discovery, “James Cameron’s Expedition: Bismarck.”
2003
TC co-finances/co-distributes another TV movie for CBS Network, “The Pilot’s Wife.”
2004
In co-production with Larry Sanitsky, TC co-finances and distributes Robert Ludlum’s “Covert One: The Hades Factor” for CBS Network.
Becomes the first international company to produce directly for the U.S.’ Syfy channel, TC/TP produce award-winning miniseries “Ring of the Nibelungs,” also for Germany’s Sat.1 and U.K.’s Channel 4.
2006
TC continues best-selling author strategy striking a co-finance/worldwide distribution deal on the Nora Roberts franchise for eight movies with Stephanie Germaine Prods. and Mandalay Television.
Popular on Variety
2007
TC closes multi-year TV distribution deal with Starz Media.
TP/TC first team with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free TV, on six-hour miniseries “The Company.”
2009
The breakthrough: TC finances and TP develops and initiates production on their first eight-hour series, adapting Ken Follett’s “The Pillars of the Earth,” bringing in Scott Free TV to co-produce.
“We had a fabulous book from Ken Follett that people knew. We were producing with Scott Free/Ridley Scott and John Pielmeier gave us a great script. We believed in the narrative, in the people creating this, and we just said: ‘If we’re ever going to do this, it’s with this,’ Bauer recalls. “So we joined hands and jumped off a cliff.” We had $8 million deficit to make the series, and had to sign personal liability agreements, Halkin adds.
2011
TC/TP roll on “World Without End” with Scott Free TV co-producing.
TC/TP’s fifth co-production with Scott Free TV, “Labyrinth,” is based on Kate Mosse’s novel.
2012
A game changer. In January, Studiocanal announces that Tandem has become a Studiocanal company, with Vivendi taking a 51% stake in Tandem Communications and Tandem Productions.
Tandem, sometimes a contrarian, drives into procedurals, producing global crime drama “Crossing Lines,” its first one-hour, starring William Fichtner and Donald Sutherland and with “Criminal Minds” showrunner Ed Bernero – just as much of the world is pulling out.
2013
Production begins on “Crossing Lines” Season 2.
2014
12 new episodes made on “Crossing Lines” Season 3.
TP produces acclaimed Canal Plus original series “Spotless.”
2015
TC rebrands as Studiocanal TV (SCTV)
2016
Bauer’s role at Studiocanal TV is expanded to lead all U.S. television activities for Studiocanal production companies.
2017
SCTV co-finances and distributes the first SunnyMarchTV production, “The Child in Time” starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
2018
SCTV/TP breaks ground with a new co-production model on “Take Two,” the first time a series is developed and financed from the get-go out of the U.S. and E.U.
2019
SCTV/TP goes into production with Bron Studios on “Shadowplay.”
SCTV co-finances and distributes for RED Russell T. Davies’ “Years and Years” released in June, airing on HBO in the U.S., and Cattleya’s upcoming adaptation of Roberto Saviano’s “ZeroZeroZero,” a portrait of the global suffering inflicted by the cocaine trade.
