Factual Fiction

What Factual Fiction does

Factual Fiction is a UK-based independent television production company headquartered in North Yorkshire (Hutts Lane, HG4 3DA), founded in May 2020 by Emily Dalton and Tom Dalton with financial backing from Great Point Media. The company develops and produces both scripted drama and unscripted factual/documentary content, operating across multiple genres including period drama, murder mystery, prestige literary adaptation, and contemporary documentary. Its portfolio includes the three-film Agatha franchise distributed worldwide by Netflix, BAFTA-winning documentary 'Richard III: The King in the Car Park', Amazon Original 'The Greatest Show Never Made', and the PBS Masterpiece returning series 'Miss Scarlet & the Duke'.

Factual Fiction differentiates through co-financed co-productions with international partners such as ZDF Studios, Paramount, PBS, and AMC, and through its wholly-owned, 100% solar-powered post-production facility The Sun House, which positions it as the UK's first off-grid production company. The company secures commissions and project financing through direct relationships with major UK broadcasters (Channel 4, BBC, ITV, Channel 5) and global SVOD platforms (Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+).

The business operates as a professional services production house: revenue is generated project-by-project through production fees, licensing rights, and co-production financing arrangements rather than subscription or volume-based pricing. Distribution is entirely B2B, channeled through direct sales to commissioning editors at broadcasters and platform partners, supplemented by international co-production partnerships that de-risk individual project budgets. The leadership team comprises three co-founders (Emily Dalton on the non-scripted slate, Tom Dalton on scripted, and executive producer Patrick Irwin focused on international co-productions) supported by an in-house producer, writer, director, and post-production personnel.

Name

Factual Fiction

Legal name

Factual Fiction

Website

https://factualfiction.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Factual Fiction is a UK independent television production company founded in 2020 that develops scripted drama and unscripted factual content for major UK broadcasters (Channel 4, BBC, ITV) and international SVOD platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+), differentiated by its off-grid solar-powered post-production facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC), Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB), Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE)

Keywords

• Television production
• Drama series
• Documentary production
• Co-production services
• Post-production facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Ripon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TV Production and Co-productions: Factual Fiction generates revenue through producing TV dramas, documentaries, and factual programming for broadcasters and streaming platforms. The company participates in co-productions with international partners, generating revenue from production fees, licensing rights, and distribution deals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Factual Fiction is a UK-based independent television and film production company that develops, produces, and delivers scripted drama series, feature films, documentaries, and factual programming for UK broadcasters and international streaming platforms. The company operates dual scripted and unscripted slates, secures co-production financing, and delivers content from development through post-production via its own off-grid solar-powered facility 'The Sun House'. Revenue is earned through production fees, licensing rights, and distribution deals with commissioners including Channel 4, BBC, ITV, Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV+, PBS, and ZDF Studios.

Product overview

Factual Fiction is a UK-based television and film production company combining scripted and unscripted content. Their portfolio includes drama series (The Puzzle Lady, Peacock & Verity), documentary series (The Greatest Show Never Made, A Very British Christmas), and feature films (the Agatha series). The company operates its own off-grid post-production facility called The Sun House, powered by 100% solar energy. Productions are delivered to major platforms including Channel 4, Amazon, Netflix, ZDF Studios, and PBS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Puzzle Lady Six-part returning drama series co-produced with ZDF Studios/PBS and Paramount, produced by Factual Fiction for international broadcast and streaming distribution.
• The Greatest Show Never Made Three-part Amazon Original series produced by Factual Fiction for Amazon Prime Video.
• Peacock & Verity Four-part Channel 4 show produced by Factual Fiction.
• A Very British Christmas Three-part Channel 4 documentary-style series following Britain's leading Christmas event designers, delivered by Factual Fiction.
• Agatha and the Truth of Murder Channel 5's first original feature-length film, also acquired by Netflix worldwide.
• Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar Sequel feature film in the Agatha murder-mystery franchise.
• Agatha and the Midnight Murders Third feature film in the Agatha murder-mystery franchise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Channel 5's highest rating drama of 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ITV Studios: The production and distribution arm of ITV, producing scripted drama, factual, and entertainment for global markets. A broad incumbent that commissions, produces, and distributes at significantly greater scale than Factual Fiction, operating in the same competitive market.
• All3Media: One of the largest UK independent production groups, housing labels like Lion TV, Objective Productions, and Company Pictures. A broad incumbent in the same commissioning market as Factual Fiction, with much greater scale and slate depth.
• Banijay UK: Global content producer and distributor housing multiple UK labels including Darlow Smithson (former employer of Factual Fiction's co-founder Emily Dalton). A broad incumbent and direct competitor in the UK indie production market, with vastly greater scale and international reach.

Direct peers

• Sister Pictures: Boutique UK production company producing premium drama (Chernobyl, The Split, Gangs of London). Comparable to Factual Fiction as a small, founder-led UK indie competing for the same high-end scripted commissions from Channel 4, BBC, and SVOD platforms.
• Baby Cow Productions: Independent UK producer (This Country, Reindeer Spotting) with BBC and Channel 4 commissions. Comparable as a similarly-sized, founder-led UK indie competing for the same broadcaster commissions.
• See-Saw Films: UK/Australian production company behind The Power of the Dog, Top of the Lake, and Heartstopper. Comparable as a similarly-sized indie with international co-production credentials and premium drama output across platforms including Netflix and BBC.
• Kudos Film and Television: Boutique UK drama producer (Broadchurch, Grantchester, Spooks), now part of Banijay. Directly comparable as a founder-era indie that scaled into premium drama commissions for ITV, BBC, and Channel 4 — the same commissioning pool Factual Fiction targets.
• Tiger Aspect Productions: Banijay-owned UK indie producing scripted drama and factual programming (Peaky Blinders, Mrs Brown's Boys). Comparable as a dual-format UK indie serving BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 with both scripted and factual slates.
• Wall to Wall Media: Warner Bros. Discovery-owned UK indie producing factual and scripted content (Who Do You Think You Are?, The Choir). Comparable dual-format production house with similar broadcaster relationships including BBC and Channel 4.
• Hat Trick Productions: Independent UK producer of scripted and unscripted television (Peep Show, Outnumbered, Would I Lie to You). Directly comparable as a similarly-sized UK indie operating a dual scripted/unscripted slate for major UK broadcasters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Factual Fiction