Meet, Marry, Murder premieres on Lifetime this Friday,1st May.
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
From secret affairs and double lives to jealousy, greed, and control, Meet Marry Murder reveals how devotion can turn into domination - and how ordinary people can commit extraordinary acts of cruelty.
Driven by money, revenge, or desperation, these killers once stood at the altar saying, “I do.” Through chilling confessions and forensic evidence, Meet Marry Murder asks the haunting question at the heart of every case: how well do you really know the person you married?
Episodes will also be available on demand in the US.
The Basement: A Vanishing in Apple Valley Grips Viewers With Tragic Mystery
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
The Basement: A Vanishing in Apple Valley, produced by FirstLook TV, is on the must-watch list of documentaries currently streaming on Channel 5. The gripping two-part true crime series follows an investigation into a missing persons case that uncovers a series of tragic developments. With its compelling storytelling and emotional depth, The Basement is fast becoming a standout recommendation for documentary fans.
Broadcast Summit
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
The Broadcast Summit this week was its usual excellent contribution to industry thinking. Great for FirstLookStudios to have been invited to share our AI experiences making both Killer Kings and Great British Castle Rescue history projects for Sky History and BBC Select with colleagues Sphere Abacus.
We’ve already been on a creative journey discovering what works, doesn’t work and where video generative AI is appropriate and is, well, ‘not so much’.
Our creative partners Gennie and Nmatic alongside our inhouse AI work made returnable series possible.
Make it excellent, efficient and always obey the rules and we have an exciting tool.
The Basement: A Vanishing in Apple Valley is now available to watch on Disney +
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
This remarkable story of survival was part of a two-hour 'box-set' special and a one-off 90-minute Channel 5 film.
Available from April 26 on Disney+, the film is a reflective and immersive Documentary experience produced by FirstLookTV with the committed assistance of Sarah Maynard herself. As a teenager, Sarah was kidnapped, abused and presumed dead after the discovery of the bodies of her brother and mother - along with her mother's friend.
FirstLookTV's sensitive treatment of crime survivors helped Sarah choose us to work alongside. It's a remarkable watch and we thank Sarah for choosing us to tell her story.
Produced by FirstLookTV
Distributor : Sphere-Abacus
Available on Channel 5 in the UK Sundance in the US - and now Disney+ in the UK and Europe as a two-hour film special.
Paul C. Brunson to front Red Flag 2
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
Paul C. Brunson: Red Flag to be produced by FirstLookTV and launch in 2026
UKTV is excited to announce renowned relationship expert Paul C. Brunson (Married at First Sight UK, We Need to Talk) will present the new series of Red Flag for free streaming service U and U&W.
Paul C. Brunson: Red Flag (8x60’), is produced by FirstLookTV in association with SOAR Productions, and will join U’s growing slate of true crime offerings, launching on the free streaming service and U&W in 2026. International sales will be handled by Sphere Abacus.
Please visit: https://corporate.uktv.co.uk/newsroom/paul-c-brunson-to-front-second-series-of-true-crime-docu-series-red-flag-for-u-and-uandw for more information.
Great British Castle Rescue tops Sky History and captures the nation’s imagination
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
Great British Castle Rescue has quickly become one of Sky History’s standout successes, proving that British heritage still draws a powerful audience when it is told with clarity, scale and purpose.
Produced over the Autumn by us here at FirstLookTV and supported by The National Lottery, the series ranked as the number one programme on Sky History in March 2026, delivering 11 per cent of all channel viewing. More than one in ten viewers tuned in to watch castles restored and forgotten histories brought back into public view.
The opening episode attracted around 83,000 overnight viewers and secured a place in the Sky Top 10 rail, marking a strong start for specialist factual. Even before consolidated viewing is counted, the series stands as the second highest week one premiere of 2026 and the third most watched season on the channel this year, while also delivering the highest commercial impact in March.
National media response has reinforced the impact, with 89 pieces of press coverage generating an estimated £400,000 in campaign value. The Daily Mail praised Rick Edwards’ mission to highlight lesser known castles, while The Sunday Times Culture described the series simply as fascinating history.
Great British Castle Rescue shows the strength of The National Lottery investment in action. Distinctive heritage storytelling, delivered at scale, reaching wide audiences and bringing the work it supports into clear national focus. With further streaming and international opportunities ahead, the series is set to grow its reach and long term value even further.
My Boyfriend, My Rapist: The Secret Footage shortlisted for the True Crime Awards
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
My Boyfriend, My Rapist: The Secret Footage has been shortlisted for the True Crime Awards in the Impact for Change and Outstanding Documentary Film categories.
Please visit: https://truecrimeawards.co.uk/truecrimeawards2026/en/page/shortlist-2026-on-screen for more information.
Great British Castle Rescue premieres on Sky History
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
Great British Castle Rescue follows Rick Edwards as he ventures inside some of the UK’s most spectacular and endangered castles. From crumbling medieval towers to collapsing royal chambers, engineers and historians battle to stabilise these epic structures with help from National Lottery funding. Each rescue unlocks extraordinary stories of warrior kings, civil wars, brutal betrayals and forgotten lives. Across each episode, Rick meets heritage experts, engineers and stonemasons racing to save these buildings.
Please visit: https://www.history.co.uk/videos/the-gothic-castle-that-squatters-destroyed-great-british-castle-rescue for more information.
Killer Kings wins Broadcast Tech Innovation Award (Best AI Innovation)
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
Killer Kings wins Best AI Innovation at the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards.
As the world’s first long-form AI-reenactment documentary series, Killer Kings reimagines historical storytelling by combining rigorous research, powerful story telling and fully AI-generated cinematic imagery in boldly unmasking six powerful kings who have shaped history.
Please visit: https://www.broadcasttechawards.co.uk/winners-2025 for more information.
True Crime Producers group adds five Indies
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
The Association of True Crime Producers, the new industry body set up to establish best practice guidelines for the TV crime genre in the UK and Ireland, has added five new members.
Joining the non-profit syndicate are Back2Back Productions, Content Kings, Flicker Productions, North One, and Zig Zag Productions.
The new members will join Avalon, FirstLook TV, ITN Productions, Monster Films, Peninsula Television, Phoenix Television, Rare TV, Revelation Films, Title Role, and Woodcut Media, as the association continues to grow its membership and roll-out various initiatives over the coming year.
On the 21st of November, ATCP will also launch its first webinar. The session will be led by the Film and TV Charity who will talk about the “Whole Picture Tookit”, created to support people at all levels of production, and to support Managers and Senior Creative leaders to look after their team’s mental health and wellbeing.
Committee Member – Alexander Gardiner, CEO, Rare TV said: “We are delighted to see our membership growing. Duty of care and high ethical standards are vital in this most sensitive of programming areas. The fact that our membership is growing shows how many in our industry want to commit to this best practice approach.”
Committee Member – Gillian Carter, Founder & COO, FirstLook TV said: “Keeping up editorial and safeguarding standards is a process – vigilance is a constant need and our webinars are aimed at providing a framework for us all to understand what keeps us at the forefront of standards. Our first tackles mental well-being – that of our contributors and that of our colleagues.”
The ATCP launched July 2023 with members signing up to a set of clear guidelines, which put victims and their families at the centre of the production process and aims to enhance current best practice in duty of care. Members have committed to conforming to the highest ethical standards and supporting the continuing integrity and success of true crime production.
Membership is open to TV and film production companies, digital or podcast content producers, or individuals directly engaged in the production of true crime content for domestic (UK & Ireland) or international consumption.
Please visit: https://atcp.tv/ for more information.
FirstLookTV expands senior team with triple executive hire
FirstLookTV, the longest established indie production company in the Midlands, today announces a triad of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalising on its US and UK True Crime hits, Meet Marry Murder, My Lover My Killer and #Dead2Me.
FirstLookTV, the longest established indie production company in the Midlands, today announces a triad of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalising on its US and UK True Crime hits, Meet Marry Murder, My Lover My Killer and #Dead2Me.
FirstLookTV expands senior team with triple executive hire from Icon, BBC
UK-based factual prodco FirstLookTV has made a trio of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalising on its US and UK True Crime series Meet Marry Murder, My Lover My Killer and #Dead2Me.
UK-based factual prodco FirstLookTV has made a trio of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalising on its US and UK True Crime series Meet Marry Murder, My Lover My Killer and #Dead2Me…
FirstLookTV Expands Executive Team
FirstLookTV has made a triad of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalizing on its U.S. and U.K. true-crime hits Meet, Marry, Murder; My Lover My Killer; and #DEAD2ME.
FirstLookTV has made a triad of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalizing on its U.S. and U.K. true-crime hits Meet, Marry, Murder; My Lover My Killer; and #DEAD2ME…
FirstLookTV Expands Senior Team
FirstLookTV has appointed Lucy Middelboe as Head of Business, Andie Clare as Director of Production, and Rachel Bowering as Creative lead on Development. The appointments form part of FirstLookTV’s business development strategy, which will primarily focus on new and existing production development, social media and international collaborations.
FirstLookTV, the indie production company in the Midlands, has announced a trio of senior hires in a new growth strategy aimed at capitalising on its US and UK True Crime hits, Meet Marry Murder, My Lover My Killer and #Dead2Me.
FirstLookTV has appointed Lucy Middelboe as Head of Business, Andie Clare as Director of Production, and Rachel Bowering as Creative lead on Development. The appointments form part of FirstLookTV’s business development strategy, which will primarily focus on new and existing production development, social media and international collaborations…
FirstLookTV Secures a fourth series of A Killer’s Mistake
True crime producer First Look TV has secured a fourth series of A Killer’s Mistake for a ten-partrun. Distributed by Blue Ant Media (UK), the series will premiere on linear on Quest Red andstreaming via Discovery+ in the UK next year.
True crime producer First Look TV has secured a fourth series of A Killer’s Mistake for a ten-partrun. Distributed by Blue Ant Media (UK), the series will premiere on linear on Quest Red andstreaming via Discovery+ in the UK next year.
The series is exec produced First Look TV’s Caitlin Hanrahan and Blue Ant’s Ben Barrett andfocuses on the critical moment when a new piece of evidence becomes the turning point in amurder investigation, leading to the arrest. Meanwhile, FirstLookTV is also in late-stagenegotiations about a new 52x60 part Medical True-Crime series for A&E Networks EMEA anddistributed by Big Media.
FirstLookTV preps A Killer's Mistake S4
True-crime indie FirstLookTV is to deliver a fourth series of A Killer’s Mistake (10×60’) ahead of 2024.
True-crime indie FirstLookTV is to deliver a fourth series of A Killer’s Mistake (10×60’) ahead of 2024.
Distributed by Blue Ant Media (UK), the upcoming season is set to premiere on linear television via Quest Red and streaming
via discovery+ in the UK next year. The series will once again feature a mix of five UK cases and five US stories.
Executive Produced by FirstLook’s Caitlin Hanrahan and Blue Ant’s Ben Barrett, A Killer’s Mistake focuses on the critical moment when a
new piece of evidence becomes the turning point in a murder investigation, leading police and investigators to find and arrest the killer.
The first two seasons of the detective mystery series initially aired on Netflix and Crime & Investigation in the UK, with Warner Bros. Discovery
picking up S3. It is currently one of 18 true-crime brands offered to the international market by FirstLookTV.
Will Hanrahan, founder of FirstLookTV, says, “The international success of this series proves that our innovative methods of creating true crime content with global appeal are hugely effective. It is a gripping series that shines a light on the incredible work investigators do to catch criminals in both
the US and the UK, and as an indie based outside of London we’re proud to be partnering again with Blue Ant and Warner Bros. Discovery for a
fourth season.”
Meanwhile, FirstLookTV is also in late-stage negotiations about a new 52×60 part Medical True-Crime series for A&E Networks EMEA and distributed
by Big Media.
First Look raises Red Flag for UKTV
UKTV has made its first true crime commission for free-to-air channel W and streaming service UKTV Play with Red Flag (8 x 60’) produced by First Look TV.
UKTV has made its first true crime commission for free-to-air channel W and streaming service UKTV Play with Red Flag (8 x 60’) produced by
First Look TV.
Over eight episodes, the stories of people who have been catfished, gaslit and deceived are told through first-person survivor testimony. In each episode, Red Flag explores the experiences of those who have been targeted by digital manipulators who use dating sites, instant messaging and fake personas to prey on and exploit their partners.
Red Flag has been commissioned for UKTV by commissioning executive Emile Nawagamuwa with Head of Factual and Factual Entertainment Helen Nightingale and ordered for W by Adam Collings, channel director and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Will Hanrahan is executive producer for First Look TV and the series producers are Graham Smiles and Jo Robinson.
Adam Collings said: “This series marks our first true crime UKTV Original commission for W and the unique format sets the series apart from others, making for insightful and intriguing viewing. This is such an important commission for our 2024 slate, and I’m so pleased we get to share the survivors’ stories and try to signpost the hallmarks of deception for others.”
Emile said: “We’re incredibly excited to be working with First Look on our first true crime series. The deeply personal accounts from survivors will offer valuable insight to the perilous landscape of modern dating. Those affected will be at the forefront, this is a chance to tell their story and send messages of caution and solidarity to others who may be living the same experience.”
Will Hanrahan, executive producer for First Look said: “This is an important series that shines a light on an epidemic of fakery in the UK dating world. We can all too easily find ourselves scammed, blackmailed and even hoodwinked into sex by those who hide behind fake identities or who prey on our instincts to help others in need. It will make for compelling viewing – and we hope it prevents such crimes happening to you or someone you know. Given the subject, we think UKTV’s W channel is the perfect partner, and we are delighted to be working with them again.”
Red Flag will air on UKTV’s free-to-air channel W and streaming service UKTV Play in 2024.
First Look TV included in Broadcast's Production 100
Televisual’s exclusive annual report into the TV indie sector, the Production 100, is out now with Avalon in the number one spot once again.
Televisual’s exclusive annual report into the TV indie sector, the Production 100, is out now with Avalon in the number one spot once again.
Avalon posted a turnover figure of £274m. The top 100 indies collectively turned over £3.1bn over the past year.
72 Films was voted the producers’ producer in the report’s annual Peer Poll in which indies vote for the rivals they most admire.
The survey also asked respondents to rate their broadcaster clients. The BBC was voted as the best broadcaster to work with and Netflix
the best streamer.
All3media International took the crown as the indies’ best rated distributor.
Black Mirror - Reflections on True Crime
Charlie Brooker’s pastiche in Loch Henry serves to reinforce the importance of the documentary staple in popular culture but also its serious societal value, argues FirstLook’s Will Hanrahan
Charlie Brooker’s pastiche in Loch Henry serves to reinforce the importance of the documentary staple in popular culture but also its serious societal value, argues FirstLook’s Will Hanrahan.
Charlie Brooker apparently hails from the same village Boris Johnson and Carrie have made their multi-million-pound home – Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. This corner of Oxfordshire is central casting for an episode of Midsomer Murders. Leafy lanes, country pubs and men in lycra struggling by on super-expensive bikes that the average TV researcher can only dream of affording.
For Boris and Charlie, buying a super-bike would not be a problem. If ever Charlie returns home and bumps into the former fibber-in-chief, he might compare notes across a range of interest areas. Both have worked in print and broadcast, and both plough their own, unique furrows.
Much has been written and said about Charlie - mostly admiring of his slightly left-field observations and versatility. He can present, lampoon on different platforms, write and direct. Being fair, the guy puts in a shift. I’m a huge fan, as I might have said I had bumped into him at an awards ceremony (see Black Mirror: Loch Henry for why that line works).