One of the most prolific production companies of the second half of the 20th century is the Incorporated Television Company Limited (ITC), It started life as the Incorporated Television Programme Company (ITP). Two brothers, Lew and Leslie Grade formed a partnership with Val Parnell and Prince Littler to begin the company. ITP which was set-up in 1954 had been refused a franchise for one of the first ITV companies, so instead supplied programmes for the fledgling Independent Television.

The two Grade brothers were already successful theatrical agents before they formed ITP, and were the main suppliers of talent for the world famous London Palladium. The London Palladium was run by Val Parnell for the Moss Empires Group which was owned by the Littler family

The Adventures of Robin Hood was ITCs first project with each episode having a budget of £10,000, and the serieITP soon became ITC, with an annual budget of £500,000, its was , starring Richard Greene. The Adventures of Robin Hood was produced for ITC by Hannah Weinstein Productions and Sapphire Films Limited, it was filmed at Nettlefold studios Walton on Thames in Surrey, England. The series ran from 1955 until 1959 and was a huge success.

'Mr Television' Lord Lew Grade of Elstree

Later, Lew Grade and his partners successfully bid for an ITV franchise, after merging their company with the Associated Broadcasting Distribution Company (ABDC). The new company was awarded the franchise for weekday programming in the Midlands and for London at weekends. The company would soon become Associated Television (ATV) and ITC became a wholly owned subsidiary of ATV supplying programmes for the ITV network.d Leeweeeeew Grade 'Mrof Elstree

Later, Lew Grade and his partners successfully bid for an ITV franchise, after merging their company with the Associated Broadcasting Distribution Company (ABDC). The new company was awarded the franchise for weekday programming in the Midlands and for London at weekends. The company would soon become Associated Television (ATV) and ITC became a wholly owned subsidiary of ATV supplying programmes for the ITV network.

Some of the other 1950s ITC output included: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot and The Buccaneers. The majority of the early swashbuckling historical series were filmed at Nettlefold Studios at Walton-on-Thames. By the late 1950's ITC had moved its operation to Elstree and the much larger ABPC Studios.

Danger Man was filmed at the Elstree studios as was the last of ITC's historical adventure series Sir Francis Drake. The 1960's was a prolific decade for ITC, in addition to further series of Danger Man, many new series were made for the ITV network and also for international distribution. Some of these series which were by now in the one-hour episode format, as opposed to the half-hour episodes of earlier shows, included: Ghost Squad, The Saint,The Baron, The Champions, Man in a Suitcase and The Prisoner.

In 1962 one of ITC's most popular series began, based on the Leslie Charteris creation The Saint, this series, which stars Roger Moore as Simon Templar ran until 1968. The Saint was produced by Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker. Another ITC series is The Baron, based on the books of John Creasey, starring Steve Forrest as John Mannering, ostensibly an antiques dealer, but who always seems to become embroiled in adventure and intrigue.

Patrick McGoohan stars in The Prisoner, an ITC series originally broadcast in 1967, his character known only as Number Six has been abducted from his London home and taken to The Village, in reality this is Portmeirion in North Wales. In The Village, Number Six is expected to reveal to Number Two why he has resigned, although never named in the series, Number Six is widely believed to be John Drake, McGoohan's character in Danger Man.

The Gerry Anderson company was bought by ITC following the Puppet series Supercar, later there was Stingray in 1964 and Thunderbirds (1965-66). in 1970 Anderson produced the live action science-fiction series U.F.O., this was ITC's most expensive production to date with a budget of £2.5 million.

In the 1970s ITC produced The Persuaders starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis (1971-72), Shirley's World starring Shirley Maclaine in 1971, Moses the Lawgiver (1966-67) and Jesus of Nazereth in 1977. ITC also moved increasingly to feature film production in the 1970s with films including The Return of the Pink Panther (1971), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and The Muppet Movie in 1979.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s ITC gave us The Return of the Saint (1978-79) and Sapphire and Steel (1979-82). After this ITC wound down its British television production operation. ATV by this time was now known as Central Independent Television. Take-over bids and boardroom re-shuffles involving the parent company ACC (Associated Communications Company) eventually led to Lew Grade having to leave the company in 1982.

ITC continued its operations in the United States for several years after being absorbed by Polygram, and in 1995 the massive ITC catalogue of programmes was sold to Carlton.In 2006 on December 24 & 25 BBC Radio 2 broadcast a two-hour tribute to Lew Grade narrated by Roger Moore. The tribute includes an exclusive interview with Patrick McGoohan.