Northern Pictures

Northern Pictures
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryTelevision
GenreTelevision production
Founded2010
FounderSue Clothier
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Key peopleMatt Vittins (managing director)
Karina Holden (Head of Factual) (2026)
ServicesTelevision program production
ParentRACAT Group
Websitenorthernpictures.com.au

Northern Pictures is an Australian television production company, which develops and produces mostly documentary television programs for multiple television channels in Australia and internationally. The company's documentary series include Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl (2014) as well as both the US and Australian versions of Love on the Spectrum, and Employable Me (2018). It also produces adult and children's comedy series, including Hardball (2019) and Austin (2024-present).

As of 2026, the company is part of the RACAT Group, along with Australian Geographic, Scout Publishing, game developer Runaway game developer, and Junkee Media.

History

Northern Pictures was founded by Sue Clothier in 2010. Her aim was "to create high quality content that has the capacity to make a positive difference in people's lives".

In 2013, Clothier sold the company to David Haslingden, a media executive who also acquired New Zealand company NHNZ around the same time, through his RACAT Group. In the same year, the company formed a joint venture with Keshet International to operate Keshet Australia.

In 2017, Haslingden sold his production company holdings (including Northern Pictures) to Canadian company Blue Ant Media. Blue Ant Media also bought the RACAT Group of production companies and ZooMoo Networks. In February 2018, Peter Anderson was appointed as managing director of Northern Pictures, while Sue Clothier was appointed head of content and production, tasked with expanding output.

In 2018, Northern Pictures acquired the magazine Australian Geographic from Bauer Media Group. The whole editorial and production team remained in place, including editor-in-chief Chrissie Goldrick.

After Blue Ant Media acquired RACAT's operating businesses in 2017, Anderson served as a director of Blue Ant. RACAT reacquired Northern Pictures, Runaway Play (a video game developer), and Australian Geographic in 2020, and Anderson was appointed managing director of RACAT Group.

Anderson left the role of managing director of Northern Pictures in 2025.

Governance and staff

As of November 2026, Northern Pictures is part of the RACAT Group, along with Australian Geographic, game developer Runaway, and Junkee Media.

At this time, the staff of Northern Pictures include:

Peter Haslingden remains CEO of the RACAT Group, while David Anderson has been executive consultant since leaving the MD role in 2025.

Productions

Documentary

Fictional

References

  1. ↑ "Northern Pictures strikes the right balance". The Australian. 4 October 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Groves, Don (7 February 2018). "Peter Anderson named MD of Northern Pictures as Sue Clothier moves to new role". If.com.au.
  3. ↑ Delaney, Colin (20 February 2013). "Incoming Nine chairman David Haslingden buys Northern Pictures". Mumbrella.
  4. ↑ Boon, Cameron (29 May 2013). "Keshet Media Group pushes into Australian with Northern Pictures partnership". Mumbrella.
  5. ↑ Knox, David (26 May 2017). "Northern Pictures sold in Canadian deal". TV Tonight.
  6. ↑ Tutty, Josie (2 March 2018). "Bauer Media sells Australian Geographic to Northern Pictures". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Management". RACAT Group. Archived from the original on 5 November 2026. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "About". Northern Pictures. Archived from the original on 5 November 2026. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
  9. ↑ "About Us". RACAT Group. Archived from the original on 5 November 2026. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
  10. ↑ Jeffery, Yasmin (2 November 2026). "Being an adventure scientist can be epic, surreal ... and perilous". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 November 2026. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
  11. ↑ Knox, David (24 January 2024). "Returning: Better Date than Never". TV Tonight. Retrieved 9 October 2024. Production Credit: A Northern Pictures production. Developed and produced in association with the ABC with development support from Screen Australia.
  12. ↑ Knox, David (19 March 2015). "Renewed: Shaun Micallef's Stairway to Heaven, Changing Minds". TV Tonight. Retrieved 9 October 2024. Changing Minds series 2 will continue to challenge the stigmas, taboos and myths around mental illness as it meets the patients living with mental health problems and follows the staff who are helping them get back to their everyday lives.
  13. ↑ Knox, David (19 September 2013). "Airdate: Kakadu". TV Tonight. Retrieved 9 October 2024. This four part series has been filmed across 12 months, by Northern Pictures and Beach House Productions.
  14. ↑ Knox, David (11 February 2015). "Airdate: Life on the Reef". TV Tonight. Retrieved 9 October 2024. Produced by Northern Pictures in association with Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, PBS, Arte France and ABC TV.
  15. ↑ Knox, David (7 June 2019). "7 year saga: SBS abandons Carlton documentary". TV Tonight. Retrieved 9 October 2024. The 3 part series from Northern Pictures looked at the Italian migrant history of the inner Melbourne suburb, with local identity Mick Gatto as a key figure, and was commissioned after the success of Nine's Underbelly.
  16. ↑ Knox, David (19 September 2013). "Airdate: Kakadu". TV Tonight. Retrieved 9 October 2024. This four part series has been filmed across 12 months, by Northern Pictures and Beach House Productions.