The North Yorkshire couple who have won major backing for their television firm

A year after their Channel 5 film Agatha and the Truth of Murder, Emily and Tom Dalton have won support from the UK investment group Great Point Media to start a their own firm, called Factual Fiction.

The company will combine Emily’s background as managing of Endemol Shine’s label DSP - and originator of documentaries such as Richard III: The King in the Car Park, The Mill, 24 Hours in the Past and Made in Great Britain - with Tom’s work as a commercials director and writer/producer of the continuing Agatha trilogy.

The Daltons’ second Agatha film The Curse of Ishtar, starring Lyndsey Marshall and Jonah Hauer-King, made a similar impact to the first when it screened just before Christmas. Their third, Midnight Murders, starring Helen Baxendale, Blake Harrison and Alistair Petrie, is coming soon.

Emily said: “Ishtar and Midnight Murders were shot back-to-back in Malta and went from idea to finished films in ten months.

"As the industry consolidates post lockdown, we aim to bring the same relentless energy and focus to our upcoming projects. We love delivering programmes that viewers are excited by, and our ability to thrive under pressure will be more useful now than ever.”

Tom continued: “A few weeks ago, our eight-year-old daughter asked if we were key workers. No, I explained, without us the world keeps spinning. Her disappointment was obvious but short-lived: 'I love television'.

"Factual Fiction won’t save the world but our ambition is clear: make great TV.”

Patrick Irwin, who has worked on The Fall, Bang and the recent show, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, has joined Factual Fiction as a consultant but is based in Wales.

He said: “I have great respect for Emily and Tom and their ability to deliver fantastic shows.

"As a fellow regional producer, I welcome the shift in the centre of gravity away from the south of England. It’s a very exciting time for the regions and Factual Fiction will be at the heart of it.”

Also joining as a development executive is Chamoun Issa, an award-winning commercials director and writer, whose remit includes managing ideas across the different labels and developing relationships with a huge pool of Northern talent.

He said: “One of Factual Fiction’s strengths is the diversity of ideas on our slate. My background is very different to Tom and Emily’s, but our shorthand is storytelling.

"We want to enrich and entertain, whilst always keeping sight of fundamental questions: why this? Why now? And who is going to watch it?”

Jim Reeve, Group CEO at Great Point Media, said: “Tom and Emily represent the depth of talent that can be found across the country and we look forward to helping Factual Fiction become an outstanding producer of quality content in the UK and beyond.

"In spite of the current difficulties faced by the production community, it’s essential investment of this type continues. We must ensure that the UK’s creative industries thrive in the post-coronavirus era."

Over the past 12 months the Great Point Group has seen two projects backed by its funds receive Emmy nominations, eight investments made in creative businesses and £90 million deployed into new content.

Great Point has also announced its first media infrastructure construction project, a major film and TV studio complex in Yonkers, New York and $100 million of institutional capital raised to facilitate further project financing activities.