Tin Roof takes Outline stake

Outline’s alternative-medicine series Health Freaks

Tin Roof Media, the investment group launched by DHX co-founder Neil Court, has taken a majority stake in London-based indie Outline Productions, whose director of programmes is leaving the company.

Outline was founded in 1999 by MD Laura Mansfield and creative director Helen Veale, and is known for factual entertainment series and formats. Its slate includes Staying Healthy: A Doctor’s Guide and Has Political Correctness Gone Mad? for Channel 4 in the UK, plus BBC2’s Geri’s 1990s: My drive to Freedom.

Further details of the investment were not revealed but Bridget Boseley, Outline’s director of programmes who joined in 2008, has taken the opportunity to exit the firm.

Neil Court

Outline’s new formats will continue to be sold by MTG-owed sales outfit DRG, with which the company has a first-look output deal.

Court, who is co-owner of Peacock Alley Entertainment, launched Tin Roof in 2016 with Two Four founder Charles Wace and backing from UK private equity firm Rockpool Investments.

Its first deal saw it invest in UK factual prodco Blink Films, which is behind The Brain for BBC4 in the UK and PBS in the US.

Court described Outline as “an ambitious company” and said the investment “will enable the company to further expand its portfolio of quality programmes. Factual and factual entertainment continue to be sought after both in the UK and globally.”

He added that the company was looking for further investments, seeking “strong management teams” and “interested in UK factual indies which can benefit from our investment and know-how.”

Outline’s slate also includes social experiment show Gender Neutral School for BBC2, alternative-medicine series Health Freaks, which is set to air in the Netherlands having debuted on C4, and business format Million Dollar Intern launching in Asia via BBC Worldwide.

Mansfield added: “This opportunity to work with the team at Rockpool and Neil, Charlie and Charles at Tin Roof was too good to miss. They will bring expertise and support to our board as we look to the next stage for Outline.

“Coupled to this, there are synergies with Blink and their talented team, as well as the chance to rapidly expand outside London.”