Neil Duncanson set to retire

Indie sector pioneer will end his love affair with North One on Valentines Day

Neil Duncanson, a key figure in the evolution of the indie sector and the growth of All3Media, is to retire from North One after a 40-year career in production.

Duncanson has been chair of the indie since 2023 and will formally step back in a month’s time on his 65th birthday (14 February).

He will work with the company as a consultant on future projects, while North One will continue to be led by chief executive Steve Gowans and chief operating officer Daniel Coomber.

During Duncanson’s tenure North One landed three Baftas, 16 RTS Awards and recently won an International Emmy for Best Sports Documentary for Disney+’s Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story (pictured, above). The four-part series, fronted by Keanu Reeves, was also acquired by the BBC, airing in November.

North One and its predecessors within the old Chrysalis Media Group, delivered thousands of hours of programming as Duncanson plotted the company’s evolution to become a mainstream producer of popular non-scripted content.

Key landmarks have included:

Channel 4’s revolutionary Italian football coverage in the 1990s and An Impossible Job, the Cutting Edge documentary that followed England manager Graham Taylor’s doomed attempt to qualify for the 1994 World Cup
Schedule-building factual staples such as Channel 5’s Fifth Gear and The Gadget Show (which has evolved into Shop Smart, Save Money), and important C4 returning brands Gadget Man (Stephen Fry and Richard Ayoade) and Travel Man (Ayoade and Joe Lycett)
Discovering Guy Martin via the indie’s coverage of the Isle of Man TT Races, and producing more than 60 hours of adventure, travel and history for first the BBC, then C4, and UKTV later this year. These shows included breaking many speed world records a live show featuring the biggest Wall of Death ever constructed

North One is intrinsically linked to its parent company, All3Media. The latter was founded by Steve Morrison, David Liddiment and Jules Burns and came into being after they bought the TV division of Chrysalis Media Group in 2004.

That business had several sub-labels, such as Bentley Productions and Cactus TV, and its Chrysalis Television label was renamed following the deal as North One, after its Islington postcode.

Duncanson described leading North One as an honour and hailed the teams he has worked with.

He said: “It has been an immense privilege to lead North One for so many years. I am incredibly proud of the teams and the quality of the shows they have produced for so many viewers across the world.

“I want to thank everyone at North One, especially my brother-in-arms Mr Gowans – we’ve essentially spent the last 35 years laughing – and Jane Turton for her consistent support and wisdom over the years.”

All3Media chief executive Turton said working with Duncanson had been a complete joy, noting: “Neil is passionate about television and brings ambition and enthusiasm, along with a lot of integrity and entrepreneurial spirit to everything he does.  He is great fun to work with – always full of creative ideas and energy.”

Guy Martin has been key talent for North One

North One is based in London and in Birmingham, where Duncanson sat on the executive board of Create Central, an industry body committed to turbo charging the West Midlands creative content industries by supporting and developing opportunities for people in the region.

Recent North One programmes include Sky Coppers for C4 and The Body, a true crime series for Paramount+, and ITV’s Vicky McClure: My Grandad’s War.

Duncanson, an avid Crystal Palace fan, began his TV career in sport production and has written, co-written and edited several sports books including The Fastest Men on Earth (a history of the men’s Olympic 100 metre champions), and When I Passed the Statue of Liberty, I Became Black, which last year made the final of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.