True North Productions


True North Productions is an independent British television production company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The company creates factual programmes and series in a wide variety of genres, including observational documentary, crime, current affairs, history, wildlife, food, property, and children's for broadcast by television networks in the UK, US and China.
Its programmes have been sold via distributors to broadcasters throughout the world and as a result have been screened in numerous countries, including but not limited to the United States, Australia, Russia, and Africa.
The company was established in 2002 by Jess Fowle, Glyn Middleton and Andrew Sheldon, three producers and directors who had previously worked for Yorkshire Television's documentaries department. They chose the company name as a way of highlighting its northern roots.
After several years based at Yorkshire Television's Kirkstall Road studios, in 2009 the company moved its production base to Marshall's Mill, a converted flax spinning mill in Holbeck, close to Leeds city centre. As well as housing its production teams it also created a dedicated post-production operation, with 21 edit suites and a standalone dubbing suite.
In 2012 True North expanded its operation across the Pennines to Greater Manchester - first in Manchester city centre before settling in Media City, Salford.
In 2014 the company was one of the first to receive investment from Channel 4's Indie Growth Fund, a £20 million pot of cash designed to support and nurture independent TV production companies in the UK and help them scale up their business. As part of the deal the broadcaster took a minority share in the company, while Middleton departed the business.
Three years later and Channel 4 sold their stake in True North to Sky Vision, whose investment saw them become the majority shareholder in the business. It represented the Indie Growth Funds' first successful exit and the deal brought the company into a stable that also includes Love Productions, the maker of The Great British Bake Off.
True North was voted one of the Best Places to Work in TV in 2018 and also earned a coveted Top 10 placing in Broadcast Magazine's Peer Poll.

Programming

Current productions

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