Denton formed the short-lived production company Tempest Films with the actor David Swift and fellow documentary maker Richard Marquand which first involved John Pilger in working for television and Pilger's first television documentary The Quiet Mutiny,[1] which Denton directed for Granada's World in Action series.
"[1] Denton came under extreme political and diplomatic pressure from both the British and Saudi governments both before and after ATV part-financed and produced the drama-documentary Death of a Princess shown on 9 April 1980.
[2] In 1981, he sacked Noele Gordon star of the soap opera Crossroads, a decision which antagonised viewers: "'I got excrement through the post'", he once said.
In the 1982 franchise round, the ITV Midlands broadcaster ATV turned into Central Independent Television, with Denton remaining in his post.
Denton's time at BBC Drama coincided with some flops, such as the expensive Rhodes (1996) receiving a negative press, but some critical and popular successes such as the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy.