Steve Wynne exits Rival to run TV at Pretzel Films

Steve Wynne has left Rival Media and set up a TV division at London-based Pretzel Films.

Pretzel has hitherto been known as a producer of commercials and corporate content, but wants to move into TV.

It employs directors full time and has full production and post facilities in-house. The company has several TV projects worked up already including a full pilot for an Office-esque sitcom set in a library called Doubt on Loan.

There will also be docs, entertainment shows and kids TV projects, Wynne told TBI.

He has completely exited Rival Media and has no ownership stake in the company, leaving Howard Myers in charge at the kids-focused producer.

“There comes a point when you are running a business that you get caught up in doing that and paying the bills and I wanted to get back to focusing on the creative side,” Wynne said. “There’s a development team at Pretzel, we’ve got pilots and there were a lot of resources not being fully exploited.”

The producer will not distribute the shows it gets away and will look for a sales partner on a project by project basis, Wynne added.

Pretzel said it is already working with several broadcasters and expects to have its first TV projects away before the end of the year.