The Story Collective

What The Story Collective does

The Story Collective is a UK-based global content studio, founded in June 2021 by former Lookout Point executives Damian Keogh and Simon Vaughan alongside ex-BBC Worldwide content chief Helen Jackson and Jonathan Norman. The company produces and co-produces premium scripted drama and comedy-drama for global streaming platforms (Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+) and UK broadcasters (BBC, Sky, Channel 4). Its flagship production, A Thousand Blows (a 12-part Steven Knight series starring Stephen Graham for Disney+/Hulu), received seven BAFTA Television Awards nominations and secured a second-season greenlight; the company has additional credits including Your Christmas Or Mine 2 for Amazon Prime Video, Donkey! for BBC, and The Mallorca Files Season 3 for Amazon Prime Video.

The business model combines direct production with a portfolio-style investment strategy: the studio takes equity stakes in early-stage boutique production companies (Maia Pictures, Artis Pictures, Mighty Pebble Pictures, and Cosmopolitan Pictures), providing strategic, commercial, operational, and development-funding support in exchange for ownership and collaborative output. Revenue flows from production fees, overhead agreements, and co-production financing structures negotiated with platform partners, with global distribution managed through parent company Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content), which fully acquired the company in March 2026, converting its 2021 minority investment into 100% ownership.

The studio also operates The Story Works, a 22-acre film and television studio complex at the historic Mortlake Brewery site in London (opened April 2024, co-founded with Fifth Season and Kwame Kwei-Armah), extending the business from production services into physical facilities infrastructure. Following the 2026 acquisition, CEO Damian Keogh also serves as Fifth Season's SVP, Managing Director of International Scripted, while co-founder Simon Vaughan exited to launch Storyworks (with a first-look deal with Fifth Season) and co-founder Helen Jackson exited the company; the legal entity operates as TSC Entertainment in the United Kingdom.

Name

The Story Collective

Legal name

TSC Entertainment

Website

https://thestorycollective.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Story Collective is a UK-based scripted television studio that develops premium drama and comedy-drama for global streaming platforms and broadcasters, and invests in early-stage boutique production companies. Wholly owned by Fifth Season since March 2026, it operates as the parent studio's UK scripted arm.

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

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creator Content Production & Co-Creation Studios (BPAFAHAD), Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Scripted television production
• Television content studio
• Production company investment
• Script development services
• Drama series production

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scripted TV Production and Co-production: The Story Collective generates revenue by producing and co-producing scripted television drama series for global streaming platforms and broadcasters. Revenue flows from production fees, overhead agreements, and co-production financing structures with platform partners such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Sky, Netflix, and BBC. The company also invests in production company partners, providing strategic, commercial, and operational support in exchange for equity and collaborative output.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Story Collective is a UK-based global content studio that produces, co-produces, and finances premium scripted television drama for global streaming platforms and broadcasters (Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC, Sky). The company backs script development and invests in early-stage production companies (Cosmopolitan Pictures, Maia Pictures, Mighty Pebble Pictures, Artis Pictures), providing strategic, commercial, operational, and development funding support in exchange for equity. It also operates The Story Works, a film and television studio complex in Mortlake, London.

Product overview

The Story Collective is a single, unified UK-based global content studio focused on scripted television. The company backs script development and invests in early-stage production companies (Artis Pictures, Maia Pictures, Mighty Pebble Pictures, Cosmopolitan Pictures) while also producing original content directly. Its flagship productions include A Thousand Blows (Disney+), Your Christmas Or Mine 2 (Amazon Prime), and Donkey! (BBC). The studio also operates The Story Works, a major film and television studio complex in Mortlake, London, making it both a production company and a facilities provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Story Collective Global Content Studio A UK-based global content studio backing script development and investing in early-stage production companies in scripted television, offering talent partnerships and writer-driven TV projects under a commercially experienced studio umbrella.
• The Story Works A film and television studio complex located at a 22-acre riverside brewery site in Mortlake, London, featuring production offices, workshops, sound stages, and outdoor standing sets including Victorian East London docks; the largest film and television studio in central London.
• A Thousand Blows

Quantifiable outcome

• A Thousand Blows received seven BAFTA Television Awards nominations including Drama Series and Leading Actress.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cosmopolitan PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2024Cosmopolitan Pictures was founded by Ben Donald to develop and produce distinctive, intelligent, high-end drama series with a borderless view of modern audiences. The company joined The Story Collective in July 2024, expanding its slate of European projects. Cosmopolitan has produced Italian true crime series Per Elisa: il Caso Claps for RAIUno (winner of a Nastro d'Argento award for social impact) and Season 3 of The Mallorca Files for Amazon Prime Video. Ben Donald is a former colleague of the founders from BBC Worldwide and Lookout Point.
• Mighty Pebble PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2023Mighty Pebble Pictures is a comedy-drama production company founded by BAFTA award winners James De Frond (writer/director) and Tom Davis (actor/comedian). The company plans to develop and produce drama, comedy, and projects in between, with a focus on working-class writers and their stories. The Story Collective invested in and partnered with Mighty Pebble in May 2023. Notable productions include Your Christmas Or Mine for Amazon Prime Video and Tom Davis: Underdog for Sky Comedy.
• Maia PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2023Maia Pictures is a comedy-drama production company launched by ex-Channel 4 commissioner Rachel Springett, focused on developing projects with a new generation of original, authored, and bold voices. The Story Collective made its first investment into Maia Pictures in March 2023, providing strategic, commercial, and operational support as well as development funding. Springett has a track record of commissioning first-time writers and launching careers including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michaela Coel, Mae Martin, and Nida Manzoor.
• Artis PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2023Artis Pictures is led by established drama producer Kate Croft and produces premium drama series in partnership with showrunner executive producers, originating content out of the UK for the international market. Artis previously had first-look deals with Lookout Point and BBC Worldwide, and a co-development/production deal with BBC Studios. Its first longform series was period fashion saga The Collection for Amazon Prime and France Television. The Story Collective invested in Artis Pictures in March 2023.
• Jonathan NormanminorOthersJonathan Norman, Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey (a global investment bank), serves as a Non-Executive Director on The Story Collective's board. He previously served as an advisor to Lookout Point from start-up through to its sale to BBC Studios.
• Chris RicecoreOthersChris Rice, Co-President of Fifth Season, serves as a Non-Executive Director on The Story Collective's board, representing the interests of parent company Fifth Season.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sister Pictures: Sister is a London-based boutique scripted production company known for Fleabag, Killing Eve, and This Way Up. It operates a comparable writer-led premium drama model, supplies global streamers and broadcasters, and competes for the same UK talent and commissioning slots as The Story Collective.
• New Pictures: New Pictures (an All3Media label) is a London scripted indie behind The Missing, Fearless, and White House Farm. Its former Head of Legal & Business Affairs, Elouise West, is now Managing Director at TSC, evidencing direct personnel and operating-model overlap.
• Bad Wolf: Bad Wolf is a Cardiff and London-based scripted drama studio co-founded by Jane Tranter, producing His Dark Materials, Industry, and The Salisbury Poisonings for HBO/BBC. It is a direct competitor in the premium UK scripted space for global platforms.
• Neal Street Productions: Neal Street Productions is a London scripted drama studio co-founded by Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris and Caro Newling. Producers of Call the Midwife, Penny Dreadful, and 1917. Comparable boutique writer-driven UK scripted peer, often partnering with BBC and global streamers.
• Drama Republic: Drama Republic is an independent London scripted production company behind The Duchess, Us, and The Salisbury Poisonings. It competes in the same writer-led UK scripted tier as TSC, serving Netflix, Channel 4 and BBC.
• Left Bank Pictures: Left Bank Pictures (now part of Sony Pictures Television) is a London scripted drama studio behind The Crown, Wallander, and Enola Holmes. It competes with TSC for premium UK drama commissions from streamers and broadcasters.
• Two Brothers Pictures: Two Brothers Pictures is a London-based scripted indie known for The Missing, Baptiste, and The Tourist. Amy's Chappelhow, TSC's Head of Development, previously held the same role at Two Brothers Pictures, evidencing direct talent and thematic overlap in UK thriller/drama.
• Carnival Films: Carnival Films (an NBCUniversal International Studios label) is one of the UK's leading scripted drama producers, famous for Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders, and The Last Kingdom. It is a major UK scripted peer competing for premium commissions.
• Lookout Point: Lookout Point is the prior scripted drama studio co-founded by Simon Vaughan (now TSC co-Chair) and previously run by Damian Keogh (now TSC CEO). Sold to BBC Studios, it produced Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley, A Suitable Boy and Death in Paradise. It is TSC's direct lineage peer — same founders, same writer-driven premium UK drama thesis.

Broad incumbents

• Working Title Films: Working Title Films is the larger UK-based film and TV production company (an NBCUniversal label) responsible for Notting Hill, Love Actually, and Bridget Jones's Diary. Although much larger and historically film-led, it is one of the most relevant scaled UK scripted incumbents for premium platform content, anchored in the same London talent ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TSCollective_TV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-story-collective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Story Collective