“There is no one quite like Michael Fleischer. He bowled into our very first interview, fresh off a plane and barely a day off his previous shoot, and wowed me with his energy, enthusiasm and understanding of the show. We went on to work on two series of Grantchester, covering some 14 episodes with at least as many guest locations –each of which he made feel real, thought-out and unique. He prioritises story and character in his designs, while drawing on a vast knowledge of architecture, culture and perioddetail. Usefully for a producer, he is practical and realistic about what can be achieved, but that never tempers his ambition. His pre-viz concept work is hugely useful for the team to see in advance, and it’s always dead on to what he intends to deliver. Most importantly, he has a great sense of humour, and a great sense of himself. I’ve enjoyed our two years working together, and hope there are more to come in the future.

Producer, Richard Cookson

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all your extraordinary work on The Mallorca Files. Your attention to detail is second to none and, along with your taste and great judgement, your vision has had such a positive impact on the production. I love the fact that you never lose sight of the most critical component in what we do -story. Every discussion with you is underpinned by how best we can serve that story and this is such a special quality. The episodes look stunning. So, huge thanks and the best of luck with the remaining blocks.”

Director, Rob Evans

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Michael on four different projects from WW2 dramas, fantasy features and psychological dramas and Michael is hands down the best designer I know. He’s resourceful, imaginative, collaborative and inventive with a keen eye for character and detail. His wonderfully rendered ‘pre-visuals’ let me and the team get a feel for his sets before they’re built, but Michael is also able to react quickly to changing circumstances and his quick thinking and ability to adapt have been incredibly valuabletoo. Michael’s designs brim with character and personality in the details that everyone from the cast to DP can build ideas around. He’s incredibly supportive and always brings an excellent team. It’s been a delight working with him over the years and I can’t wait to do so again.”

Director Jamie Stone

“I found Michael brilliant to work with; he’s so imaginative and receptive to the director’s vision and also so practical and able to work within schedule and budget… I would highly recommend him.”

Producer, Laura Hastings-Smith

“I worked with Michael in Hungary on three seasons of XCompany for CBC and Sony Pictures Television. Michael was always reliable, creative, and worked well under the time and budget constraints of episodic television. He was always deft at adapting to changing locations and skilled in bringing out the best of an almost entirely foreign crew. His attention to detail and work ethic is commendable. His spirit never waned and was an excellent team player and would be a welcome addition to any project. I would recommend him to anyone and you’d be in very safe hands. I could not have considered doing X Company without him.”

Producer, John Calvert

“Michael goes above and beyond, on every level. He locked into our vision in our first meetings and then brought visual poetry to ‘X Company’ that was all his own. His ability to transform location, to see possibilities where others might not, to motivate dozens on a punishing schedule, whilst still attending to every brushstroke of detail is remarkable. He understands story, character, emotion, and tone, making him invaluable not only to his showrunners, but also to all creative department heads.”

Producers and Show Runners, Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern

“Michael was an inspired and enthusiastic collaborator and partner in our work together on X-Company. Not only did he constantly stretch our conservative design budget, he kept impressing and delighting me with his imagination and keen eye for creating details and layers to the sets that enhanced the story without distracting from it. One many example was a spy safe-house in Paris, which wasn’t scripted in any specific detail. Micheal created a beautiful backstory that it belonged to an art forger -complete with painting supplies and a huge, half finished forgery of “Liberty Leading the People”. I really appreciated Michael’s devotion to telling our story in the richest and most thematically clear way. I can’t wait to work with him again.”

Director, Grant Harvey

“Michael is quite simply the best Production Designer I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He is incredibly collaborative and is always willing to work his sets to accommodate camera. The most beautiful, rich and detailed sets I have ever worked on have always been Michaels’. He is a delight as a human and as an artist. I could wax poetic for days, but you get the idea. He’s the one.“

Director, Amanda Tapping