Raw TV

Raw TV is a British film and television production company headquartered in London. Established in 2001 by Dimitri Doganis with an initial small development deal from Channel 4, the company developed a profile in documentary and factual-entertainment programming before expanding into scripted television and feature documentaries. Its work has covered adventure, crime, social issues, travel, survival and real-life stories, generally combining strong narrative hooks with access to unusual or high-stakes situations. The company’s best-known productions include Gold Rush, a factual series following prospectors working in the Alaskan wilderness; Banged Up Abroad, which dramatizes and documents the experiences of people imprisoned overseas; Shackleton: Death or Glory, an expedition-focused program connected with the legacy of Ernest Shackleton; and Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, a travel and food series led by actor Stanley Tucci. Raw TV has also produced internationally distributed documentary films, including Three Identical Strangers, which examines the extraordinary reunion of triplets separated at birth, and The Tinder Swindler, a widely circulated true-crime documentary about a man accused of deceiving women through online dating platforms. Raw TV’s business model is that of an independent production label working with broadcasters, streamers and other commissioning partners. Rather than selling a single consumer product, it develops television formats, documentary concepts, factual series, scripted projects and films for different markets. Its programming has therefore reached audiences through multiple distribution arrangements and has included both returning series and one-off productions. The company became part of a larger international media structure through a series of ownership changes. Discovery Communications acquired Raw TV in 2014, adding the producer to Discovery’s portfolio of factual-content businesses. In 2017, Raw TV was acquired by All3Media, an international independent television production and distribution group. The company subsequently became part of Banijay UK in 2026. Despite these changes in ownership, Raw TV has continued to operate as a recognizable production brand associated with documentary and factual storytelling.

Raw TV was founded in London in 2001 by Dimitri Doganis. The company began with a small development deal from Channel 4, a starting point that enabled it to develop factual and documentary ideas for British television. It subsequently built its identity around programs based on real people, unusual circumstances and dramatic real-world events. A significant part of Raw TV’s early and continuing output has involved factual entertainment and documentary storytelling. Banged Up Abroad became associated with dramatized accounts of people detained or imprisoned in foreign countries, while Gold Rush followed prospectors pursuing mineral wealth in difficult and remote environments. These productions reflected Raw TV’s interest in accessible, high-stakes narratives that could be adapted for broad international audiences. The company later expanded its range beyond documentary series. Its credits included adventure and historical programming such as Shackleton: Death or Glory, as well as travel and food television such as Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Raw TV also entered feature-documentary production. Three Identical Strangers investigated the lives of triplets separated at birth and reunited as adults, demonstrating the company’s ability to develop emotionally compelling real-life stories for cinema and international distribution. The Tinder Swindler extended this documentary approach into contemporary online fraud and true crime, becoming one of the company’s most visible streaming-related productions. Raw TV’s corporate history has been shaped by successive acquisitions. Discovery Communications acquired the company in 2014. Three years later, in 2017, All3Media acquired Raw TV, making it part of a major independent production and distribution group while preserving the Raw TV name as a production label. In 2026, the company was acquired by Banijay UK and became part of the wider Banijay organization. Across these ownership transitions, Raw TV has remained a London-based producer working across documentary, factual entertainment, scripted television and film.

• 2026

  Banijay UK acquisition

  [1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  Raw TV became part of Banijay UK after another ownership transition.

• 2017

  All3Media acquisition

  [1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  All3Media acquired Raw TV from Discovery Communications.

• 2014

  Discovery Communications acquisition

  [1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  Discovery Communications acquired Raw TV, adding the company to its international factual-production interests.

• 2001

  Raw TV is founded

  [1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  Dimitri Doganis founded Raw TV in London with a small development deal from Channel 4.

An independent-style British production label focused on high-concept factual storytelling, documentaries and selected scripted projects for international broadcasters and streaming platforms.

• Factual entertainment series

  Gold Rush

  A factual-entertainment series centered on prospectors searching for gold in demanding remote environments. The program combines work, risk, competition and personal conflict, presenting mining operations and the economic pressures surrounding them for an international television audience.

• Documentary series

  Banged Up Abroad

  A documentary format recounting the experiences of people arrested, detained or imprisoned in foreign countries. It uses interviews and dramatic reconstruction to explain how the subjects became involved in overseas criminal-justice cases and what followed.

• Adventure documentary

  Shackleton: Death or Glory

  An expedition-focused documentary production drawing on the legacy of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. It combines historical subject matter with physical adventure and exploration-oriented storytelling.

• Feature documentary

  Three Identical Strangers

  A feature documentary about triplets who were separated after birth and unexpectedly reunited as adults. The film uses their reunion as the entry point to examine identity, family separation and the circumstances behind their separate upbringings.

• Travel and food series

  Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

  A travel, food and culture series presented by Stanley Tucci. Each episode explores Italian regions through local cuisine, history, landscapes and the personal stories connected with food.

• True-crime documentary

  The Tinder Swindler

  A true-crime documentary about allegations that a man used online dating platforms to deceive women and obtain money. The production follows the affected women and examines the mechanics and consequences of the alleged fraud.

• 2026

  Move to Banijay UKM&A

  Background

  Raw TV underwent another ownership change after its period within All3Media.

  Action taken

  Banijay UK acquired Raw TV.

  Aftermath

  Raw TV became part of Banijay’s UK production organization.

  Source

• 2017

  Sale to All3MediaM&A

  Background

  Discovery Communications sold Raw TV during a subsequent reshaping of its production holdings.

  Action taken

  All3Media acquired Raw TV and added it to its international independent-production group.

  Aftermath

  The Raw TV label remained in use while operating within All3Media.

  Source

• 2014

  Sale to Discovery CommunicationsM&A

  Background

  Raw TV had developed into a British producer of documentary and factual-entertainment programming.

  Action taken

  Discovery Communications acquired the company and incorporated it into its wider content-production portfolio.

  Aftermath

  Raw TV continued operating under its established name within Discovery’s corporate structure.

  Source

• 2026

  Raw TV joins Banijay UK[1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Raw TV became part of Banijay UK following a further change in ownership.

• 2017

  All3Media acquires Raw TV[1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  All3Media acquired Raw TV from Discovery Communications as part of the company’s expansion of its international production group.

• 2014

  Discovery Communications acquires Raw TV[1]Raw TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Discovery Communications acquired the British production company, bringing Raw TV into its international factual-content portfolio.

1. 1Raw TVen.wikipedia.org