Andy Harries, the founder and CEO of Sony-owned Left Bank Pictures and an exec producer on its hit show “The Crown,” is to transition to an executive chairman role after 18 years at the helm of the company.
Harries will switch to the newly-created role 2026, remaining in position as CEO until a replacement is in place. He’ll also continue as an executive producer on key current and future Left Bank Pictures titles, including the forthcoming adaptation of James Graham’s “Dear England,” Stephen Butchard’s “This City Is Ours” (being launched this week at London Screenings, and Scott Frank’s new detective series for Netflix, “Department Q,” due early summer.
“Legend is an overused term, except for Andy Harries,” said Wayne Garvie, president of Sony Pictures Television. “He is a television legend and at Left Bank Pictures he has built one of the great global drama labels. Left Bank shows are clever, cheeky and creative, like the man himself. Everyone at Sony is overjoyed that we are going to continue our relationship with him in this new role.”
In 2007, Andy was awarded the Special Achievement award by BAFTA and in May 2011, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Television Society for outstanding contribution to the broadcasting industry. In 2024, Andy received the British Press Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and he was awarded an OBE in the 2019 Birthday Honours list for services to the television and film industry. “The Crown” alone has won 24 Primetime Emmys amongst a slew of other awards.
“These are interesting times. Our business is changing at lightning speed, and this new role means that I can focus on how Left Bank continues to meet the creative and financial challenges of producing top end UK drama in a challenging environment,” said Harries. “But this isn’t me picking up the proverbial pipes and slippers! We have some terrific shows coming up and I’m excited to continue to be involved with them – and a few others we have up our sleeves. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Left Bank over the last 18 years, the programmes and the team we have built, and looking forward to being part of the next chapter in the story.”
