Founded in 1980 by writer Roger Simpson and producer Roger Le Mesurier, the company's first major feature was Squizzy Taylor (1981). Simpson Le Mesurier has since produced mini-series such as Sword of Honour, Nancy Wake and Darling of the Gods. Sword of Honour won Best Mini-series, Best Actor and Best Actress awards at the 1987 Logies, while Darling of the Gods won a 1989 AWGIE award for Best Mini-series. Their productions have also been exported to more than 40 countries. Other Simpson Le Mesurier productions include the police series Skirts and the Bob Ellis-written and directed feature film The Nostradamus Kid (1992).
In 1995 Simpson and Le Mesurier formed a joint venture with Beyond International, creating the new company Beyond Simpson Le Mesurier.