Deadpan Pictures
Deadpan Pictures is an Ireland-based TV and film production company specializing in drama with humour, co-producing premium series and films for international broadcasters and streaming platforms including BBC, RTE, Netflix, and AMC's Acorn TV.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Deadpan Pictures does
Deadpan Pictures is an Ireland-based television and film production company specializing in drama with humour — character-driven stories with comedic elements. The company is co-founded and led by Paul Donovan (International Emmy award-winner) and Ailish McElmeel, with offices in Dublin (headquarters) and Middletown, Northern Ireland (Deadpan Pictures North). It is a private limited company incorporated in Ireland (registered number 527841) with 1–10 employees, operating in a project-based production model rather than a technology platform. The technology stack is standard industry production equipment and workflows; no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are evidenced.
The company produces drama series, family programming, and feature films for sale to broadcasters and streaming platforms. The current slate (2024/25) totals 18 hours of drama, including Irish Blood (AMC's Acorn TV's best performing series ever, co-produced with Shaftesbury Canada), Video Nasty (BBC, Virgin Media Television, WDR, BoatRocker), Showkids (RTE, Madgic), and This is not a Murder Mystery (Studio Canal, Panenka Belgium). Revenue is generated through production fees, co-production financing, and distribution/licensing rights sold to international buyers. Historical productions include Moone Boy (Sky), Can't Cope Won't Cope (RTE, BBC, Netflix), Northern Lights (Lionsgate, ZDF), Dead Still (RTE, Acorn, ZDF), and feature films including Four Kids and It and The Last Right.
The business model is a commissions-based co-production architecture. Deadpan originates or develops IP, assembles co-production financing from public funding bodies (Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Eurimages) and international partners (Shaftesbury, Panenka, Studio Canal, ZDF), and licenses distribution rights to broadcasters and streaming platforms across Ireland, UK, Germany, Canada, the US, and other territories. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct relationships with broadcasters and attendance at industry trade markets. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; budgets and licensing fees are negotiated on a project-by-project basis.
Deadpan Pictures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Deadpan Pictures
- Legal name
- Deadpan Pictures Limited
- Website
- https://deadpanpictures.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Deadpan Pictures is an Ireland-based TV and film production company specializing in drama with humour, co-producing premium series and films for international broadcasters and streaming platforms including BBC, RTE, Netflix, and AMC's Acorn TV.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Deadpan Pictures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television and Film Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA), Live-Action TV Movies, Miniseries & Specials Production (MPADABAD), Sketch Comedy Shows (MPAGACAC)
Keywords
Where Deadpan Pictures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Deadpan Pictures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Television Drama Production: Deadpan produces television drama series for Irish and international broadcasters. Revenue is generated through production fees, co-production financing, and distribution rights. Productions include Irish Blood, Video Nasty, Showkids, and This is not a Murder Mystery for 2024/25.
- Film Production: Feature film production including Four Kids and It, The Last Right, Halal Daddy. Films are co-produced with international partners and distributed through theatrical, streaming, and broadcast channels.
- International Co-productions: Co-production arrangements with international partners including Canadian (Shaftesbury), Belgian (Panenka), German (ZDF, WDR) companies, providing financing and distribution across multiple territories.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Deadpan Pictures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Deadpan Pictures is an Irish television and film production company that develops and produces scripted drama series, feature films, and select web content with a signature "drama with humour" creative voice. Productions are typically structured as international co-productions with broadcasters and studios (e.g., BBC, RTE, Netflix, AMC's Acorn TV, Peacock, Lionsgate, ZDF, Studio Canal) and delivered as commissioned content for broadcast and streaming platforms. In 2024/25 the company produced 18 hours of drama including Irish Blood, Video Nasty, Showkids, and This is not a Murder Mystery.
Product overview
Deadpan Pictures is an award-winning television and film production company specializing in drama with humour. The company operates as a traditional media production house offering a portfolio of distinct TV series and films. Television productions include comedy-dramas (Can't Cope Won't Cope, Nowhere Fast, Moone Boy), period dramas (This is not a Murder Mystery, Northern Lights), horror-comedies (Video Nasty, Dead Still), and family series (Showkids). Film productions span family adventures (Four Kids and It), comedy-dramas (The Last Right, Halal Daddy), and short films (Seanie & Flo). The company also produces web content (Burning Wishes). Productions are distributed through international platforms including BBC, RTE, Netflix, AMC's Acorn TV, Peacock, Lionsgate, and ZDF.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Irish Blood A 6 x 1-hour drama series following L.A. lawyer Fiona Sharpe (Alicia Silverstone) whose world is upended by a letter from her estranged father, leading her to Ireland to unravel family secrets. Co-produced with Shaftesbury (Canada) for AMC's Acorn TV, where it became the platform's best-performing series ever. Greenlit for Season 2.
- Video Nasty A 6 x 30-minute coming-of-age darkly comic horror series set in 1985 during the home video revolution, following three teenagers who get mixed up in a murder investigation while collecting cult VHS tapes. Co-produced for BBC, Virgin Media Television, WDR, and BoatRocker. Written by Hugh Travers. Scripting Season 2.
- Showkids A 6 x 30-minute family series set in an after-school drama class for talented kids, encouraged to their limits by their brilliant but complicated teacher Miss Bethany Jessop. Co-produced for RTE and Madgic. Created by Hugh O'Conor.
- This is not a Murder Mystery
Companies that use Deadpan Pictures
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Deadpan Pictures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Deadpan Pictures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shaftesbury (Canada)coreCo-production partner on Irish Blood and Departure 2. Shaftesbury is a major Canadian production company. Irish Blood is described as AMC's Acorn TV best performing series ever.
- AMC's Acorn TVcoreDistributor for Irish Blood and Deadpan's Dead Still and The South Westerlies. Irish Blood became Acorn TV's best performing series ever.
- Studio CanalcoreCo-producer of This is not a Murder Mystery, a high-end period drama.
- Panenka (Belgium)coreCo-producer of This is not a Murder Mystery alongside Studio Canal.
- BBCcoreUK broadcaster co-producer and distributor of Video Nasty, Can't Cope Won't Cope, Women on the Verge, Nowhere Fast, and Moone Boy.
- RTEcoreIrish national broadcaster and co-producer of multiple Deadpan productions including Irish Blood, Showkids, Can't Cope Won't Cope, Dead Still, The South Westerlies, Nowhere Fast, and Burning Wishes.
- Virgin Media TelevisioncoreIrish broadcaster co-producer of Video Nasty.
- WDRminorGerman broadcaster co-producer of Video Nasty.
- BoatRockerminorProduction partner for Video Nasty.
- LionsgatecoreStudio partner for Northern Lights production alongside TG4 and ZDF Neo.
- ZDFcoreGerman broadcaster co-producer of Northern Lights, Dead Still, and The South Westerlies.
- NetflixcoreStreaming distributor for Can't Cope Won't Cope.
- PeacockcoreNBCUniversal's streaming platform co-producer of Departure 2 with Shaftesbury Films.
- UKTVcoreUK broadcaster distributor of Women on the Verge.
- Northern Ireland ScreenminorGovernment body supporting Northern Irish film and TV industry, co-producer of Can't Cope Won't Cope.
- Baby CowminorProduction company (Steve Coogan's) co-producer of Moone Boy for Sky.
- MermanminorProduction company co-producer of Women on the Verge with UKTV.
- SkycoreUK satellite broadcaster and co-producer of Moone Boy.
- Dan FilmsminorFilm production partner for Four Kids and It.
- Kindle EntertainmentminorFilm production partner for Four Kids and It.
- EOne EntertainmentminorEntertainment One co-producer of The Last Right film.
- Florin Film GermanyminorGerman co-producer of Halal Daddy film.
- Screen IrelandminorIrish film council providing support for Halal Daddy production.
- EurimagesminorEuropean film funding body supporting Halal Daddy production.
- Element PicturesminorIrish production company co-producer of Halal Daddy.
- Global ScreenminorInternational film and TV sales agent for Halal Daddy.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Deadpan Pictures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Merman: UK production company co-producer of Women on the Verge with Deadpan; produces character-driven comedy-drama for UK and international broadcasters, making it a near-comparable independent.
- Subotica Entertainment: Irish independent production company producing feature films and TV dramas with international co-financing; comparable in size, geography and co-production-led model to Deadpan.
- Element Pictures: Leading Irish independent production company (Normal People, The Lobster, Room) producing film and TV drama with global distribution; directly comparable to Deadpan as an Irish drama producer with international co-production relationships.
- Parallel Films: Irish production company producing high-end drama and film with international broadcasters; direct peer in Irish indie production space with similar co-production financing approach.
- Fastnet Films: Irish-Czech production company producing international drama and film; comparable as a small independent co-producer of premium content with European broadcaster partnerships.
- Baby Cow Productions: Steve Coogan's UK production company and co-production partner of Deadpan on Moone Boy; a directly comparable independent producer of comedy-drama with established broadcaster relationships.
- Shaftesbury: Canadian production company and direct co-production partner of Deadpan on Irish Blood and Departure 2; produces internationally distributed drama and is a useful like-for-like benchmark for a similarly-sized drama producer.
- Treasure Entertainment: Irish film and TV producer of titles such as The Siege of Jadotville; comparable Irish indie operating in the same international co-production ecosystem as Deadpan.
- Panenka: Belgian production company and co-production partner of Deadpan on This is not a Murder Mystery; a like-sized European indie producing premium drama with international partners.
Broad incumbents
- Banijay: Global content production and distribution group encompassing dozens of indie drama producers across Europe; competes for the same international broadcaster commissions as Deadpan from a much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Deadpan Pictures social profiles
Digital presenceDeadpan Pictures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Deadpan Pictures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Deadpan Pictures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Deadpan Pictures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Deadpan Pictures
What does Deadpan Pictures do?
Deadpan Pictures is an Irish television and film production company that develops and produces scripted drama series, feature films, and select web content with a signature "drama with humour" creative voice. Productions are typically structured as international co-productions with broadcasters and studios (e.g., BBC, RTE, Netflix, AMC's Acorn TV, Peacock, Lionsgate, ZDF, Studio Canal) and delivered as commissioned content for broadcast and streaming platforms. In 2024/25 the company produced 18 hours of drama including Irish Blood, Video Nasty, Showkids, and This is not a Murder Mystery.
Is Deadpan Pictures a public or private company?
Deadpan Pictures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Deadpan Pictures founded?
Deadpan Pictures was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Deadpan Pictures based?
Deadpan Pictures is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Deadpan Pictures make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Television Drama Production is the primary driver. The others are film Production and international Co-productions.
Who are Deadpan Pictures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Merman, Subotica Entertainment, Element Pictures, Parallel Films, Fastnet Films, Baby Cow Productions, Shaftesbury, Treasure Entertainment and Panenka. Banijay is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Deadpan Pictures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Deadpan Pictures.
What industry is Deadpan Pictures in?
Deadpan Pictures's product category is Television and Film Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAB, Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action), with a secondary code of MPADABAA, Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.