Skeggs and Lawrence were former board members of Hammer Films who had resigned to form their own production company, Cinema Arts. When Hammer entered receivership in 1979, Skeggs and Lawrence returned at the request of company management to develop a new direction for the ailing production house. Skeggs relocated Hammer Films to Hampden House in Buckinghamshire, and shifted production away from horror films featuring
Dracula and
Frankenstein towards anthologies and television serials. Production schedules were shortened and new features were largely shot on location in
Buckinghamshire rather than the more expensive studio backlot. Skeggs created the
Hammer House of Horror television series, which debuted in the UK on 13 September 1980. ==Death==