MUMBAI: Over 200 new hours of factual titles have been acquired for global audiences of BBC Knowledge, following the conclusion of significant new deals by BBC Worldwide Channels.
The programming slate is drawn from leading distributors - All3Media International, Endemol, and Zodiak Rights - and includes titles such as Genius, Secret Millionaire US, Joanna Lumley: Jewel In the Nile, Ross Kemp In The Middle East, Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour and Derren Brown Investigates.
These will air next year.
BBC Worldwide Channels VP acquisitions Bun Scrase-Dickins said, “We are committed to working with UK and international suppliers to source the best quality programmes for our international audiences. These represent only a fraction of the great content available in the market and we’re delighted to bring them to audiences through our localised channels.”
From Zodiak Rights comes content like Genius, featuring some of the world’s leading scientists including Stephen Hawking and David Attenborough. Historical series Lost Kingdoms of Africa and documentary-dramas The Queen and 1929: The Great Crash have also been acquired.
Endemol‘s content includes epic journey series Joanna Lumley: Jewel In the Nile, The Stephen Tompkinson Australian Balloon Adventure and The Stephen Tompkinson Great African Balloon Adventure.
Also acquired from Endemol are historical investigations Convoy, Turin Shroud: The New Evidence and WWI: Finding The Lost Battalions. From All3Media International, Derren Brown Investigates has been acquired, as well as historical investigations - Britain’s African Emperor, Alexandria: The Greatest City and Pompeii: Cellar of Skeletons.
Lost Kingdoms of Africa reveals the story of Africa’s ancient civilizations. Presented by historian and art expert, Dr Gus Casely-Hayford, this series uncovers the forgotten history of pre-colonial Africa. Comparing modern Africa with the historic kingdoms, each film is a rich visual journey as Gus crosses the dramatic landscapes to discover the legacy of Africa’s past glory.
Joanna Lumley: Jewel In The Nile follows the actress and campaigner as she embarks on the trip of a lifetime; to follow the River Nile, the longest river in the world, from sea to source.
On a 4000 mile journey, passing through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda, Joanna revisits the romantic history of the Nile and talks with the people working and living on the river.
In Derren Brown Investigates the renowned psychological illusionist hits the road to investigate extraordinary paranormal claims from around the world. In the UK, he meets psychic medium Joe Power, who claims he can communicate with the dead, before travelling to America to find out if things really do go bump in the night, on a surprising investigation into the world of leading ghost hunter Lou Gentile.
Finally, Brown explores one of the most ambitious claims, travelling to Holland to meet Russian Vyacheslav Bronnikov.
