The Garden Productions

What The Garden Productions does

The Garden Productions is a UK-based independent television production company founded circa 2009 and headquartered in London, with a second office (The Garden North) at MediaCity UK in Salford, Manchester. The company specializes in premium factual television — documentary, specialist factual, and reality formats — and serves UK and international broadcasters and streaming platforms as its B2B customer base. Its primary commissioners are Channel 4, BBC, ITV/ITVX, Channel 5, and Netflix, with content distributed in over 100 territories worldwide.

The Garden's production model is built on fixed-rig and single-camera filming techniques that grant sustained, unprecedented access to real-life institutional environments — police custody suites, hospital emergency departments, and other restricted settings. This access-led craft underpins its two anchor franchises: 24 Hours in A&E (300+ episodes since 2011 across multiple hospitals) and 24 Hours in Police Custody (100+ episodes). More recently, the company has extended into Netflix original non-fiction (Squid Game: The Challenge co-produced with Studio Lambert; Critical: Between Life and Death; Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers), BBC commissions (Wilderness with Simon Reeve; Scandinavia with Simon Reeve; What's The Monarchy For?), and ITV entertainment (The Neighbourhood co-produced with Lifted Entertainment; Alone).

The Garden operates a B2B commissioning revenue model: productions are commissioned and licensed by broadcasters and streamers rather than sold to consumers directly. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITV Studios Limited, providing access to group-level financing and distribution. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Leadership is anchored by CEO John Hay (ex-Channel 4 Head of Specialist Factual, in role since 2018 and sole CEO since April 2023) and Creative Director Nic Brown (ex-Channel 4 commissioner). The company has accumulated BAFTA, Emmy, Rose d'Or, Broadcast, RTS, and Grierson recognition across multiple series and formats, and was ranked 4th in Broadcast's Indie Survey Peer Poll 2026.

Name

The Garden Productions

Legal name

The Garden Productions

Website

https://thegarden.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Garden Productions is a UK-based independent television production company (subsidiary of ITV Studios) producing premium factual, documentary, and reality formats for UK and global broadcasters including Channel 4, BBC, ITV, and Netflix, with flagship fixed-rig franchises 24 Hours in A&E and 24 Hours in Police Custody.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM)

Keywords

• Television production
• Documentary production
• Premium factual content
• Fixed-rig filming
• Broadcast commissioning

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Commissioning: Producing premium factual television commissioned by major broadcasters including Channel 4, BBC, ITV, and international streaming platforms
2. Co-production Partnerships: Joint production arrangements with partners including Studio Lambert (Squid Game: The Challenge) and Lifted Entertainment (The Neighbourhood)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Garden Productions is an independent UK television production company that produces premium factual television for major broadcasters and streaming platforms, including Channel 4, BBC, ITV, Channel 5, and Netflix. The company specializes in long-running documentary franchises using fixed-rig camera technology (such as 24 Hours in A&E and 24 Hours in Police Custody), as well as reality competitions (Squid Game: The Challenge), travel documentaries (Wilderness with Simon Reeve), and specialist factual programming. The company operates from London and Manchester and is a subsidiary of ITV Studios Limited.

Product overview

The Garden Productions is one of the UK's leading television production companies, specializing in premium factual programming. The company operates a portfolio of long-running documentary franchises alongside new commissions. Core products include 24 Hours in Police Custody (over 10 years on Channel 4) and 24 Hours in A&E (over 300 episodes since 2011), which use fixed-rig camera technology to provide unprecedented access to real-life situations. The company also produces reality competitions like Squid Game: The Challenge (BAFTA and Emmy winner, co-produced with Studio Lambert) and The Neighbourhood (co-produced with Lifted Entertainment for ITV). Documentary productions span travel (Wilderness with Simon Reeve, Scandinavia with Simon Reeve), crime (Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers for Netflix), medical (Critical: Between Life and Death for Netflix, Emergency for Channel 4), and specialist factual. Programming airs across major UK broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Channel 5) and international streaming platforms (Netflix).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24 Hours in A&E Long-running documentary series following patients treated in emergency departments over 24 hours using over 100 fixed-rig cameras. Over 300 episodes produced since 2011 on Channel 4. Has featured King's College Hospital, St George's Hospital, and Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham.
• 24 Hours in Police Custody Long-running documentary series providing unprecedented access to UK police investigations using fixed-rig and single camera filming. Has aired for over 10 years on Channel 4, with over 100 episodes produced. Known for tackling social issues including knife crime, human trafficking, and domestic violence.
• Squid Game: The Challenge Reality competition series based on the Netflix drama, where contestants compete in deadly-inspired games for a cash prize. A co-production with Studio Lambert, it has won BAFTA, Emmy, Rose d'Or, and Broadcasting Press Guild awards.
• Alone UK version of the international survival competition format. Contestants are dropped alone in remote Canadian wilderness equipped with only basic tools, competing to survive as long as possible for a £100,000 prize.
• Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers Documentary docuseries examining the 7/7 London bombings and the three-week manhunt that followed. Features exclusive interviews with survivors, victims' families, police investigators, and key figures including the Prime Minister and MI5 head.
• The Neighbourhood ITV reality competition hosted by Graham Norton where households live side-by-side and compete in challenges for a £250,000 cash prize. A co-production with Lifted Entertainment, launching on ITV1 and ITVX in April 2026.
• What's The Monarchy For? BBC documentary series where broadcaster David Dimbleby investigates fundamental questions about the British monarchy, interviewing politicians and royal insiders as the institution faces scrutiny.
• Critical: Between Life and Death Medical documentary series for Netflix following life-threatening emergency cases and the medical teams working to save patients.
• Scandinavia with Simon Reeve Travel documentary series with Simon Reeve exploring Scandinavia's diverse landscapes, showcasing the region's complexity and spectacular scenery.
• Wilderness with Simon Reeve Travel documentary series following Simon Reeve in extreme wilderness environments, showcasing spectacular scenery and exploring real human stories across remote destinations.
• Emergency Channel 4 documentary series providing access to emergency services, following paramedics and medical teams responding to critical situations.
• The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild Documentary series following Claridge's Hotel undergoing major renovation including a five-storey mega-basement and new floors, filmed over six years for BBC Two.
• Natural History Museum: World of Wonder Documentary series narrated by Bill Nighy going behind the scenes at the Natural History Museum, London, showcasing specimens, scientific research, and rare collection pieces.
• Gun No. 6 BAFTA award-winning documentary hybrid of drama and documentary tracing the decade-long trail of destruction from Britain's deadliest illegal firearm—eleven shootings and three murders.
• Operation: Live BAFTA-nominated innovative format broadcasting live surgery in real time, including open heart surgery, kidney transplants, and spine operations. Double BAFTA-nominated for Best Live Event.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lifted EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025Co-production partnership with Lifted Entertainment for The Neighbourhood reality competition series. The show launched on ITV1 and ITVX in April 2026, with Graham Norton hosting a street-sized reality game where households compete for a £250,000 cash prize.
• Studio LambertcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Co-production partnership with Studio Lambert for Squid Game: The Challenge, Netflix's massive reality competition based on the hit Korean series. The show received 3 Emmy nominations and won a BAFTA, Rose D'or, and multiple Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Label1: Banijay-owned UK factual and documentary indie (Long Lost Family, Gogglebox co-production) producing access-led documentary formats for the same PSB commissioners as The Garden.
• Pulse Films: UK factual, entertainment and branded content producer (Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out, The Defiant Ones) competing in adjacent documentary and reality slots for the same UK and US buyers.
• Twofour: ITV Studios factual and reality indie behind Married at First Sight UK and Educating Yorkshire, with comparable fixed-rig and observational expertise and the same UK broadcaster customer base as The Garden.
• Silver River: ITV Studios factual and lifestyle label (Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, The Good Food Guide) producing comparable broadcaster-facing factual content, sharing both parent ownership and commissioning access.
• Studio Lambert: Sister ITV Studios factual and reality indie (Gogglebox, The Circle) that co-produced Squid Game: The Challenge with The Garden for Netflix. Same parent, same commissioner set and directly overlapping format slate.
• Shine TV: Banijay-owned UK factual and entertainment indie (MasterChef, Hunted, The Island with Bear Grylls) competing for the same factual and reality commissions from Channel 4, BBC and ITV.
• Proper Content: UK factual and documentary indie (The Met, Hospital) operating in a near-identical access-led, fixed-rig adjacent factual space for the same Channel 4 and BBC commissioning ecosystem.
• Lifted Entertainment: ITV Studios factual and entertainment label (I'm a Celebrity, The Masked Singer UK) that co-produced The Neighbourhood with The Garden for ITV1/ITVX. Closely comparable in scale, customer base and genre mix.
• Dragonfly Film and Television: Banijay-owned UK factual documentary producer (One Born Every Minute, Benefits Street) operating in the same premium observational and access-driven factual space as The Garden.
• Raw TV: Independent UK factual production company behind Louis Theroux's catalogue and The Force, directly comparable as a premium documentary supplier to UK and US broadcasters and streamers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Garden Productions