Colleagues farewell Andrew Denton from TV Andrew Denton has quit TV and sold his stake in his production company, but could one day return. COLLEAGUES and proteges of Andrew Denton have expressed sadness at news of the television creative's retirement. Denton, the mastermind behind some of Australia's most popular shows, founded Zapruder's Other Films 13 years ago before it merged with Cordell Jigsaw in February 2012. The affable television executive is credited with bringing The Gruen Transfer, Enough Rope and The Chaser's CNNNN to Australian screens. Gruen host Will Anderson said he was "honoured" to have worked with Denton on the ABC show. "If you had told 15-year-old me I would get to work with my hero Andrew Denton, I never would have believed it," he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. Dominic Knight, one of the founding members of The Chaser before the group was nurtured by Denton as the hosts of CNNNN and Election Chaser, also sent tributes. "Thanks for taking a chance on a bunch of nobodies 12 years ago," Knight wrote on Twitter. On Wednesday, 53-year-old Denton announced he was switching off his television career and selling his stake in the merged company, Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ). The former host of ABC's Enough Rope announced he was leaving to "stir my creative juices outside of television." "It's been a full-on 13 years," Denton said in a statement. For the next little while at least, I am going to try my hand at being Australia's most unlikely, least-laid-back, hippie. Comedian Dan Ilic, who trained under Denton on the ABC comedy Hungry Beast, described his mentor as a "genius." "He's a genius and a generous man," he said. If I hadn't worked for him I would be best friends with lesser people. Denton himself said he was proud of his work in nurturing new talent. "In an industry that can be brutal, I consider it an achievement to have provided a nurturing environment for good people and ideas," Denton said. It's great to know that tradition continues at CJZ. But Denton also hinted he could one day return to television, securing a "first-look" deal with the company in the event he decides to make a comeback. "We're sad to see Andrew go, but his DNA will always remain embedded in CJZ," CJZ co-owner Michael Cordell said.