Former Discovery Networks Execs Set Up Indie Production Venture

Former Discovery Networks executives Mark Procter and Steve Jones have formed Big Little Fish, a new production company focused on producing returnable unscripted series for the international marketplace.

The London-based outfit will specialize in the development and production of factual-entertainment formats, popular factual features and documentary series. The company launches with a diverse portfolio of ideas, including Hitler’s Women: The Forgotten Nazis, and has acquired factual TV rights to produce the brand-new true-crime miniseries Breaking Dad (working title).

In addition to developing projects in the crime and history genres, the company’s other internationally-focused projects span genres such as body transformation, engineering and motoring series.

Procter was formerly an executive producer and commissioning editor at Discovery Networks, where he brokered deals for international productions of shows such as Say Yes to the Dress, The Great Bake Off, Don’t Tell the Bride and Undressed and developed original series for TLC such as Separated at Birth and Extreme Beauty Disasters.

Jones was most recently executive producer of factual entertainment at Discovery Networks, where he worked across a varied slate of popular factual and factual entertainment series for TLC, Investigation Discovery and Quest Red, including Killing Michael Jackson, My Extraordinary Pregnancy, Britain’s Deadliest Kids and Katie Price: My Crazy Life.

Procter said: “Casting our net far and wide we are looking to work with broadcasters and platforms around the world. Launching Big Little Fish with an ever-expanding slate of high quality, linear, nonlinear and digital content we are driven to develop returnable factual content in a variety of genres for U.K. and international audiences alike.”

Jones commented: “Over the past few months we’ve been busy talking to distributors and broadcasters, building a solid, well-considered raft of exciting IP to sit alongside Breaking Dad and Hitler’s Women: The Forgotten Nazis. We feel that our combined international and creative experience has equipped us to develop and produce compelling factual series that we’re confident will resonate strongly with audiences worldwide. We’re looking forward to revealing more of it in the coming months.”