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As global warming rages on and the climate crisis grows ever more concerning, humans must do their part to understand the ecosystems of planet Earth and help conserve them. Netflix is offering up Our Oceans to the cause, a five-part docuseries from Freeborne Media (the Emmy Award-winning filmmakers behind Our Great National Parks), which is set to begin streaming on November 20. The series takes viewers on a journey through the planet's five oceans, following the "Global Ocean Current" (more on that later) to emphasize how diverse lives are linked by the same life force, whether they reside in the Atlantic or the Indian Ocean.

President Barack Obama narrates Our Oceans, and his playful yet steady intonations allow audiences to take in the wonders of the world while simultaneously pondering the dangers they face. Filmmaker James Honeyborne, who has been responsible for various nature documentaries including the acclaimed Blue Planet II,...

On Sunday September 1 2024, National Geographic broadcasts OceanXplorers!

Ice Giants Season 1 Episode 6 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “OceanXplorers,” titled “Ice Giants,” promises to be an exciting exploration of the Arctic’s fascinating marine life. This episode will air on National Geographic and highlights two remarkable species: the bowhead whale and the Greenland shark.

In “Ice Giants,” the team will focus on the bowhead whale, a species that faced near extinction due to extensive hunting. Viewers will learn about the current status of this population and how they have been recovering in their icy habitats. The episode will showcase the efforts made to protect these whales and the challenges they still face in the wild.

Additionally, the episode will introduce the deep-sea Greenland shark, a creature known for its incredible longevity, with some individuals living for over 400 years. The team will be the first to observe how these sharks feed, revealing...

On Sunday September 1 2024, National Geographic broadcasts OceanXplorers!

Kingdom of the Polar Bear Season 1 Episode 5 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “OceanXplorers,” titled “Kingdom of the Polar Bear,” promises to be an exciting adventure. This episode will air on National Geographic and will take viewers deep into the icy world of Svalbard, where polar bears roam. The team has a crucial mission: to understand how these majestic creatures are adapting to their changing environment.

In “Kingdom of the Polar Bear,” the crew faces the challenges of the Arctic Ocean and its harsh conditions. They will encounter the polar bears up close, observing their behaviors and habits. This exploration aims to reveal important insights into how these animals are coping with their habitat as the climate changes.

The team will also scale a glacier, a daunting task that highlights the beauty and fragility of this environment. As they climb, they will gather...

On Sunday August 25 2024, National Geographic broadcasts OceanXplorers!

Hammerhead Highway Season 1 Episode 4 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “OceanXplorers,” titled “Hammerhead Highway,” promises to take viewers on an exciting adventure in the stunning waters of Bimini, Bahamas. This episode focuses on the great hammerhead shark, one of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures. The team will dive into the crystal-clear waters to witness the incredible journey of these sharks as they migrate through the ocean.

As the team follows the hammerhead sharks, they will uncover the secrets behind how these animals navigate the vast and often mysterious ocean. This exploration will not only highlight the beauty of the underwater world but also emphasize the importance of understanding the behaviors and migration patterns of these magnificent creatures.

Throughout the episode, viewers can expect breathtaking visuals and insightful commentary from the team. The stunning scenery of Bimini will serve as a backdrop to the sharks’ journey,...

On Sunday August 25 2024, National Geographic broadcasts OceanXplorers!

Jurassic Shark Season 1 Episode 3 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “OceanXplorers,” titled “Jurassic Shark,” promises an exciting adventure in the Azores. This episode focuses on the sixgill shark, a fascinating creature known for its unique hunting habits. The team sets out to tag this elusive shark and gather important information about its nighttime activities in the deep ocean.

Viewers can expect to see the team working diligently to track the sixgill shark as it ventures from the depths of the ocean. The night is when this shark hunts for food, and the team aims to uncover the reasons behind its impressive journeys. By tagging the shark, they hope to collect valuable data that reveals its patterns and behaviors.

As the team dives into the depths, they will face challenges and surprises. The Azores, known for its rich marine life, provides a stunning backdrop for this exploration.

On Sunday August 18 2024, National Geographic broadcasts OceanXplorers!

Giants of the Deep Season 1 Episode 2 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “OceanXplorers,” titled “Giants of the Deep,” promises to take viewers on an exciting journey to the Azores. This episode will focus on the mysterious sperm whales, known for their incredible diving abilities and complex social structures. The team will follow these majestic creatures to their hunting grounds, which lie a mile beneath the ocean’s surface.

As the episode unfolds, the audience will get a closer look at the secret lives of sperm whales. These whales are not just impressive for their size; they are also skilled hunters. The team will explore how these deep-diving mammals find their prey in the dark depths of the ocean. Viewers can expect stunning underwater footage that captures the beauty and challenges of life in the deep sea.

“Giants of the Deep” will also highlight...

On Sunday August 18 2024, National Geographic broadcasts OceanXplorers!

Realm of the Humpbacks Season 1 Episode 1 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “OceanXplorers,” titled “Realm of the Humpbacks,” promises to be an exciting journey into the lives of North Atlantic humpback whales. This episode will air on National Geographic and takes viewers to the beautiful waters of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. The team is set to uncover some of the greatest secrets surrounding these majestic creatures.

In “Realm of the Humpbacks,” the team will witness the incredible bond between a mother humpback whale and her calf. The episode highlights a dramatic moment when the mother must defend her young one against a pack of orcas. This intense showdown showcases the fierce protective instincts of the mother and the challenges faced in the ocean. It is a powerful reminder of the struggles that marine animals endure in the wild.

The episode will...

The nominations for the 76th annual Emmys have dropped. There were some records broken, a lot of surprises including 36 first-time nominees and some major snubs. And a lot of fun facts and trivia about this year’s nominees. FX’s period drama series “Shogun” earning 25 Emmy nominations this year, the most of any dramatic series this year. The original NBC miniseries adaptation of the James Clavell best-seller which starred Richard Chamberlain and the legendary Toshiro Mifune received 14 nominations and won for limited series, costume design, graphic design and title sequences. Hulu’s “The Bear” broke the record for most nominations for a comedy series earning 23 nominations. NBC’s “30 Rock” had held the record with 22 nominations since 2009. Native Americans finally have some representation in this year’s nomination with Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis earning outstanding supporting actress nominations for Hulu’s “Under the Bridge” and HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country.

Who are the most significant influences on your musical life and career as a composer? A great film or TV score is most potent as an artform when it reinforces the emotion on screen, but it also knows when music is not needed. What strategies do you employ to get this balance right? These were some of the topics discussed by four top TV composers when they joined Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2024 awards contenders: Julia Newman (“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”), Sherri Chung (“Based on a True Story”), David Fleming (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”) and Nami Melumad (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”). Watch our fascinating full group roundtable panel above, and click on each name above to view each nominee’s individual interview.

See Watch our lively chats with over 300 of 2024 Emmy contenders

“I used to go to sleep when I was a...

Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

The soundtrack in the Amazon series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is highly original and makes a significant impact on the overall tone of the show. The musical score composed by David Fleming enhances the series and contributes to its impressive 87% Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Each episode of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" features carefully selected songs that reflect the story's themes and add depth to the characters' experiences.

Amazon's Mr. & Mrs. Smith season 1 features a great and highly original soundtrack. Starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is more of a remixed version of the original 2005 action comedy starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie than it is a close remake. Created by Glover and fellow Atlanta writer Francesca Sloane, the show is one of 2024's first must-watch television series, with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith's...

Exclusive: The race to replace Ralph Lee at the helm of BBC Studios Productions is underway, with the studio signaling its ambition by approaching some of the UK’s top unscripted executives.

Lee will step down as the CEO of BBC Studios Productions next month after a six-year stint to “pursue a new challenge” but Deadline is told that headhunter Russell Reynolds Associates is already scoping out successors.

The successful candidate will run a production unit that contributed heavily to BBC Studios’ £1.6B ($2B) content revenue last year, overseeing hits including Good Omens, Strictly Come Dancing, and David Attenborough’s natural history tentpoles.

Deadline understands that Russell Reynolds has held tentative early conversations with potential candidates including Stv Studios managing director David Mortimer, ITV Studios unscripted director Angela Jain and Karl Warner, Channel 4’s outgoing head of youth and digital.

Fatima Salaria, who previously ran The Apprentice producer Naked,...

Exclusive: Aardman, the iconic UK animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, has rejigged its top team and brought in a BBC Studios executive to oversee an IP push.

Aardman has hired Emma Hardie, Commercial Director of Global Entertainment for BBC Studios, to the newly-created role of Executive Commercial and Brand Director.

Aardman said Hardie will oversee financing, distribution, licensing, marketing, and planning of the studio’s animated intellectual property. She takes up the role, which includes a seat on Aardman’s executive board, on April 15.

Hardie has worked at BBC Studios for more than seven years, during which time she played a role in the company’s investments in producers Mothership TV and Mettlemouse Entertainment. She also executive produced BBC Studios’ first Snapchat commission for Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II miniseries.

Emma Hardie

Hardie’s hire comes amid a wider executive reshuffle at Aardman. Co-founder...

Exclusive: Plimsoll Productions is making some changes to its natural history team.

The company, which is behind Disney+/National Geographic’s upcoming seven-part wildlife series Incredible Animal Journeys and the James Cameron-executive produced, Benedict Cumberbatch-narrated Super/Natural, has promoted Mark Brownlow following the departure of Tom Hugh-Jones.

Brownlow, who joined the company earlier this year as Executive Producer, becomes Creative Director, Natural History. He replaces Tom Hugh-Jones, who previously held that role, and leaves after seven years.

Browlow will continue to report to Plimsoll’s Chief Creative Officer of Natural History and Science Martha Holmes.

He has overseen Incredible Animal Journeys since joining the ITV-owned company. Before that, he spent 28 years at the BBC, where he worked on series including Blue Planet II and Frozen Planet II. He also previously exec produced a ten-part wildlife series for Apple as well as Eden: Untamed Planet for BBC and AMC Networks,...

As every entertainment company is in a rush to consolidate its titles under a single streaming service, one unfortunate byproduct can end up being that consumers don’t know what’s available in these suddenly substantial treasure troves of content. When Warner Bros. Discovery merged the bulk of discovery+ and HBO Max’s libraries last month into a new streamer called Max, the biggest influx of content came from the Discovery side of the company.

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Series, specials, films, and documentaries from the flagship channel, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Food Network, and more were suddenly mixed in with the prestige content normally associated with the HBO brand. While discovery+ is still available as a standalone service, some of the best shows from the platform are now available on Max as well, but figuring out what...

Over a decade ago, four-time Emmy®-winning series Frozen Planet gave viewers unprecedented insight into life in the Poles. Now, the highly-anticipated sequel, Frozen Planet II, returns to the Arctic and Antarctic to observe the amazing species that thrive there. But, going further than the first season, it also explores life beyond the Poles – witnessing the wildlife dramas that play out in all the world’s coldest regions: our high mountains, frozen deserts, snowbound forests, and ice-cold oceans. These are the last true wildernesses on earth; places so challenging for survival that only a heroic cast of animals can live here. From polar bears to penguins, Siberian tigers to snow monkeys, each species must overcome unique challenges to survive their extreme environments. Narrated by Emmy®-winning famed naturalist Sir David Attenborough (Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II), Frozen Planet II premieres Saturday, January 28 at 8pm Et/7pm C on BBC America and AMC+.

London-headquartered factual producer Plimsoll Productions has hired BAFTA and Emmy-nominated “Blue Planet II” producer Mark Brownlow as an executive producer.

Newly backed by ITV Studios, Plimsoll is bringing Brownlow on board to report directly into chief creative officer of natural history and science Martha Holmes.

Brownlow is best known for his work on the acclaimed BBC-produced and David Attenborough-narrated blue chip “Blue Planet II” and its successful follow-up series “Frozen Planet II.”

With more than 20 natural history titles to his name, Brownlow has spent the last 28 years with BBC.

Most recently, he executive produced a 10-part wildlife series for Apple TV+, along with “Eden: Untamed Planet” (BBC Two/AMC Networks) and “Earth’s Tropical Islands” (BBC/PBS).

He produced the “Shallow Seas” and “Freshwater” episodes of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning series “Planet Earth” (BBC One/Discovery) and two episodes of the Emmy-winning “Wild Pacific” (BBC Two/Discovery).

He...

It’s last call for a number of noteworthy movies leaving HBO Max in December. If you remember “Project Popcorn” – the strategy that saw all 2021 Warner Bros. movies stream on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters – then “Mortal Kombat” and “Those Who Wish Me Dead” will sound familiar. The martial arts reboot and Taylor Sheridan thriller, respectively, will be leaving the streaming service this month.

It’s also final call for Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead,” the extended version of Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor” and Edgar Wright’s terrific sci-fi action-comedy “The World’s End” if auteurs are your thing. “Planet Earth” and “Planet Earth II” are also leaving the streaming service soon.

Here’s the full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in December 2022.

Also Read:

Here’s What’s New on HBO and HBO Max in December 2022

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Mortal Kombat, 2021 (HBO)

December 13

Spark: A Space Tail,...

Our Universe narrated by Morgan Freeman kicks off Netflix’s expanded lineup of nature documentary series on November 22, 2022. The streaming service has five additional new docuseries set to be released in the upcoming years, including 2023’s Our Planet II narrated by David Attenborough.

Life on Our Planet is targeting a 2023 debut followed by Our Oceans and Our Living World in 2024. Our Water World is aiming for a 2025 release.

“Nature documentaries can help us explore, discover, and appreciate the wonder and complexities of the world around us. The stories are limitless — spanning the arc of history from the Earth’s earliest origins, to the environments we live in now, to the planet we are creating for the future. With stunning filmmaking and innovative technologies, these cinematic documentaries bring even the most exotic or microscopic creatures of the natural world to our fingertips,” stated Adam Del Deo, VP Documentary Series.

A scene...

BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Nhu) will invest £1 million (1.08 million) over three years to develop and support aspiring natural history filmmakers in the U.K. and globally.

The Nhu produces popular natural history programs including “Blue Planet II,” “Planet Earth II,” “Seven Worlds,” “One Planet,” presented by David Attenborough, “Dynasties,” “Blue Planet Live” and “Springwatch”

In places where the Nhu is filming, the initiative will fund opportunities for locally based production talent to access in-country training, offer field experience working with Nhu teams on location, and invest in local talent to attend U.K.-based training courses.

Funds will also be allocated to ensure local-language versions of Nhu productions are made available for local viewings in communities who would otherwise have no means of accessing this content.

Some of the initiatives are already in progress, with locally based emerging talent working on “Kingdom,” an Nhu series for BBC One and BBC America,...

BBC Two are set to celebrate the prolific 40-year career of the iconic cinematic composer, Hans Zimmer.

The brand new documentary, ‘Hans Zimmer – Hollywood Rebel,’ is a 60-minute film, which airs on BBC Two on Sunday 16 October at 9pm, looks back at Hans’ glittering forty-year career, having redefined the movie score: thrilling audiences, pioneering new techniques, breaking all the rules about how to write for movies and introducing new generations to the incomparable drama of orchestral music. Now, given unprecedented access, this film will trace Hans’ amazing life and career, from post-war Germany to Hollywood royalty.

The in-depth, personal profile of the most influential and talented movie composer of his generation, will be getting inside the head of the man whose music has dominated modern movie making. Often imitated but never bettered, Hans’ distinctive sound has dominated the film industry for over twenty years – and having his name credited on...

The life and work of Hans Zimmer, the Oscar-winning composer of “The Lion King” and “Dune: Part One,” will be celebrated in BBC Two documentary “Hans Zimmer – Hollywood Rebel.”

The 60-minute film looks back at Zimmer’s 40-year journey from post-war Germany to Hollywood royalty. It will seek to reveal the musical secrets of Zimmer over a career that includes scores for films “Rain Man,” “Pirates of The Caribbean,” “Gladiator,” “No Time To Die,” “The Dark Knight,” “Batman Begins” and “The Thin Red Line” plus the music he created for BBC Studios Natural History films, including “Planet Earth II,” “Blue Planet II” and “Frozen Planet II.”

The film also features interviews with Ron Howard, Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Barry Levinson, James L. Brooks, Gore Verbinski, Steve McQueen, Stephen Frears and Tim Bevan.

Zimmer said: “I’m honored to be sharing this insight into my career and life with the BBC audience.

As Gold Derby predicted, Barack Obama was just awarded the Best Narrator prize at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmys for the Netflix documentary series “Our Great National Parks.” The former U.S. president was, understandably, not in attendance to accept his first TV Academy honor. He is now halfway to Egot status, having already nabbed two Grammys for Best Spoken Word Album.

Obama fended off quite a formidable challenger in three-time Best Narrator Emmy winner David Attenborough, who was recognized this year for “The Mating Game.” The other three contenders in the lineup were returning nominees Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (“Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War”) and Lupita Nyong’o (“Serengeti II”) and category first-timer W. Kamau Bell (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”).

SEE2022 Creative Arts Emmy winners list in all categories [Updating Live]

“Our Great National Parks” was also nominated for Best Cinematography (Nonfiction) but lost to HBO’s “100 Foot Wave.” The...

The TV academy has honored the work of voice actors nearly every year since 1992 and has bestowed separate Emmys for Best Narrator and Best Voice-Over Performance annually since 2014. Included among those recognized in the former category this year are a three-time champion, a pair of returning nominees and two newcomers (one of whom is a Grammy-winning former U.S. president).

Historian David Attenborough (“The Mating Game”) is seeking his fourth Emmy victory against challengers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (“Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War”), W. Kamau Bell (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”), Lupita Nyong’o (“Serengeti II”) and Barack Obama (“Our Great National Parks”). He already bested Abdul-Jabbar and Nyong’o in 2020, but can he do it again, especially with a heavy hitter like Obama in the mix? Let’s take a look at what makes each of these contenders worthy of the honor. Be sure to make your Emmy predictions...

Blue Planet III and Gladiators are coming to the BBC. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest will also air on the network for the first time.

The Sir David Attenborough-presented landmark was revealed at the Edinburgh TV Festival this afternoon by BBC commissioners, described as “using the very latest in underwater filming techniques to reveal brand new and untold stories from magical underwater worlds.”

The show from the prestigious BBC Studios Natural History Unit will take on the legacy of 2017’s Blue Planet II, which led to a sea change in plastics pollution and the perception of life in our oceans. Blue Planet II was one of the most-viewed BBC shows of the decade, coming a few years after the first Blue Planet.

The third series will focus on the five major underwater habitats: the Tropical Seas; Temperate Seas; Polar Seas; High Seas; and Deep Seas, while the sixth episode...

Cattleya acquires rights to ‘El Italiano’

ITV Studios-owned Spanish drama house Cattleya Producciones has acquired rights to Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s bestselling novel El Italiano and will adapt it as a miniseries. Inspired by real events, El Italiano is a story of love, spies, and the sea set at the height of World War II in the Bay of Algeciras, where Italian combat divers are causing chaos among the Allied forces. Arturo Díaz, Managing Director and Executive Producer of Cattleya Producciones, and Ricardo Tozzi, founder and President of Cattleya, are leafing the project. Cattleya Producciones is searching for an international cast to bring El Italiano‘s Spanish, Italian and English characters to life. Screenwriter Beto Marini, co-creator of Movistar+ series La Unidad and feature films such as Retribution and Extinction is adapting the story. Pérez-Reverte was trained in underwater activities at Spain’s Centro de Buceo de la Armada (Navy...

Netflix played matchmaker between James Honeyborne and the Obamas. The filmmaker’s Freeborne Media, which specializes in natural storytelling, and the Obama’s Higher Ground production company both have deals at the streaming giant, which introduced the two parties. What eventually came out of that was “Our Great National Parks,” a five-part Netflix documentary series hosted by former President Barack Obama.

“It quickly became apparent that we shared common interests, so it felt like a real natural fit to get together and talk about this,” Honeyborne tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). “The president is actually recognized as the president in all of U.S. history who’s saved more wilderness than anyone else, so he’s got a real authenticity to tell the story. It’s really the story of the importance of wilderness, wild places all over our planet.

Senior BBC executive Tom McDonald has been named executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content for National Geographic, effective June 2022, Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic Content announced on Thursday.

In this newly created New York-based position, McDonald will lead the development and production of all global unscripted series and specials across all formats and categories for Disney+ and Nat Geo’s linear channels.

Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president, Scripted and Feature Documentaries, will continue to oversee National Geographic Documentary Films.

“Tom is a brilliant creative executive with extraordinary vision and impeccable taste. Having spent a decade at the BBC creating premium, genre-defining factual content, Tom is the perfect person to lead our efforts to produce best-in-class, must-see National Geographic content,” said Monroe in a statement. “I have known and admired Tom for quite some time and could not be more thrilled he is joining our team as...

BBC head of factual Tom McDonald is joining National Geographic in the newly created role of executive VP, global factual and unscripted content, reporting into Courteney Monroe, president of National Geographic Content.

In the New York-based position, which he will take up in June, McDonald will work alongside Carolyn Bernstein, executive VP, scripted and feature documentaries. Reporting into McDonald will be Alan Eyres, senior VP, development and production, unscripted; Janet Vissering, senior VP, development and production, wildlife/natural history; and Michelle “Meesh” Upton, senior VP, production management.

McDonald will be responsible for leading the development and production of all global unscripted series and specials across all programming categories and formats, which feed Disney Plus and National Geographic’s linear channels. Bernstein will continue to oversee National Geographic Documentary Films.

McDonald comes with a stellar track record from the BBC, where his commissioning credits include “Blue Planet II,” “A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad,...

National Geographic has signed up BBC Studios’ Factual boss Tom McDonald, the exec and commissioner behind some of the UK’s biggest natural history series including Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II.

McDonald joins the U.S. network in the newly-created New York-based role of Executive Vice President, Global Factual/Unscripted Content, where he will start in June reporting to National Geographic Content President Courteney Monroe as one of her top lieutenants.

McDonald will be responsible for the development and production of all global unscripted series and specials across travel, adventure, exploration, history, science and natural history, which will feed Disney+ and Nat Geo’s linear channels. Carolyn Bernstein will continue to oversee National Geographic Documentary Films.

His direct reports will be Alan Eyres, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Unscripted, Janet Vissering, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Wildlife/Natural History and Michelle Upton, Senior Vice President, Production Management.

Passport

U.K. broadcasters Channel 4, ITV, BBC, Stv, UKTV, S4C and Paramount U.K. have teamed to create access and inclusion passports aimed at removing barriers and supporting better inclusion of disabled people and other colleagues at work. The passports, adopted from an initiative introduced at the BBC in 2019, will be confidential and will support conversations with line managers to ensure disabled colleagues and others get the right support they need at work. They will also be transferrable to enable holders to move smoothly across departments and between broadcasters, reducing the need for disabled talent and staff to repeatedly disclose their adjustment needs to each new employer or manager.

Managers will be supported at each organization to help them work with employees and their passports most effectively. The plans will also be introduced into the independent production sector to support disabled freelancers.

Channel 4 recently set a disabled presenting team...

Vigil breaks UK ratings record

BBC1 drama Vigil from Line of Duty indie World Productions has become the UK’s top-rated show for more than three years. The submarine thriller, which stars Suranne Jones, drew in the best rating since World Productions’ Bodyguard to reach 13.4 million viewers for its first episode, according to 30-day consolidated data from the BBC. BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore said the six-parter “kept viewers hooked like no other and is testament to the power of the writing and brilliant cast and crew”. The series was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, and Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer. It was written and created by writer Tom Edge, with episodes by Ed Macdonald and Chandni Lakhani, and based on an original idea by George Aza-Selinger.

Collective Media Group pushes into Latin America

Collective Media Group, the indie recently set up by former ViaccomCBS international...

“Planet Earth” producer Jonny Keeling has been appointed the new head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit (Nhu), Variety can exclusively reveal. He takes up the new role in December.

Keeling, who is currently series producer on “Planet Earth III,” will be responsible for all of the Nhu’s creative and commercial activity, reporting to BBC Studios’ managing director of factual, Tom McDonald. He will also join McDonald’s leadership team.

The producer, whose credits include David Attenborough series “Planet Earth,” “Planet Earth II,” and “Seven Worlds, One Planet,” will take over as the unit’s head from Julian Hector, whose five-year stint saw him oversee shows such as “Blue Planet II,” “Dynasties” and “The Green Planet.”

Hector also oversaw the Nhu’s first original commissions for international broadcasters. Keeling’s remit will include developing the unit’s presence in North America via its satellite office in Los Angeles.

BBC’s hit motoring entertainment show “Top Gear” is relocating from London to Bristol next year.

The move to the South West will take place in spring 2022. The show’s 33rd season will be the first to be produced solely from Bristol.

The BBC said the move would “create a number of openings for editorial and production management personnel based in the nations and regions,” in a statement.

BBC Studios Bristol is already the home to a number of the network’s best-known factual entertainment shows, including “Antiques Roadshow,” “Countryfile” and “DIY Sos.”

The Natural History Unit, which produces series such as “Blue Planet II” and “Springwatch” is also based there.

“Top Gear” fans can rest assured, however, that the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey — which the BBC calls the show’s “spiritual home” — will still be used.

“Top Gear,” which is currently in production on its 31st season, regularly films around the U.

“I seriously think this is the most important film I’ve worked on in my career,” acclaimed cinematographer Gavin Thurston admits about shooting Netflix’s “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.” After having collaborated with revered documentarian David Attenborough for over 30 years, it is Thurston who is probably better placed than almost anyone else to declare this film the most personal and essential work that Attenborough has ever produced. Watch our exclusive video interview with Thurston above.

See Exclusive Video Interview: Steven Price (‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet’ composer)

“A Life on Our Planet” is narrated by the legendary 93 year-old broadcaster and natural historian, who himself has won three consecutive Emmys for narrating the nature documentaries “Blue Planet II” (2018), “Our Planet” (2019) and “Seven Worlds, One Planet” (2020). It premiered on Netflix late last year to wide acclaim from critics (scoring a staggering 95% “fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes) and...

“Let’s make this as concise as possible hang on his every word,” Oscar-winning composer Steven Price (“Gravity”) reveals what he set out to achieve with his haunting and emotional score Netflix’s “David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet,” the most personal project that revered documentarian David Attenborough has ever produced. “Let’s support everything he has to say and hopefully make the music reflect the man and his life,” he says. Watch our exclusive video interview with Price above.

See Let’s discuss the vastly different kinds of reality TV shows [Watch]

The program is narrated by the legendary 93 year-old broadcaster and natural historian, who himself has won three consecutive Emmys for narrating the nature documentaries “Blue Planet II” (2018), “Our Planet” (2019) and “Seven Worlds, One Planet” (2020). It premiered on Netflix late last year to wide acclaim from critics (scoring a staggering 95% “fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes) and it features...

Julian Hector, head of the Natural History Unit at BBC Studios Productions, will step down at the end of the year after five years leading the unit, and almost three decades at the BBC.

Since taking over from Wendy Darke in 2016, Hector has overseen a stellar period in the Bristol, England-based production house’s 64-year history, with shows like “Planet Earth II,” “Blue Planet II,” “Dynasties” and “Seven Worlds, One Planet” proving global successes.

Under his leadership, the Natural History Unit (Nhu) also won several new commissions, including the BBC’s “The Green Planet” and “Frozen Planet II,” Apple’s upcoming “The Year the Earth Changed,” National Geographic’s “Ocean Xplorers,” “Endangered” for Discovery, and “The Americas” for NBCU.

In the past four years the unit’s output has received more than 200 awards, including four Emmys and 11 BAFTA TV awards.

Hector began at the unit in 1993, producing series like “Battle of the Sexes...

Lisa Opie, managing director of U.K. production at BBC Studios, is departing after eight years with the company.

The executive will leave in the coming months. She reported to BBC Studios director of content Ralph Lee and will help him find a replacement.

Opie was responsible for delivering BBC Studios Productions’ business plan, defining and delivering the commercial strategy and was accountable for risk and business management. She was appointed to the position in April 2019, and was previously managing director, factual production, where she led the teams responsible for producing award-winning programmes like “Blue Planet II,” “Killed By My Debt” and “Basquiat – Rags to Riches.”

Under her leadership the factual production team secured numerous third-party commissions, including BBC Studios’ first non-BBC commission “Wildlife Warriors” for Discovery, “Royal Wedding Watch” for PBS, “Fatberg Autopsy: The Secrets of the Sewers” for Channel 4 and “Stay Free: The Story of The Clash” for Spotify.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground Productions has set its latest slate of film and TV projects for Netflix.

The streamer is developing two TV series and four feature films as part of the slate.

On the TV side, Reverie and Extant creator Mickey Fisher is adapting Firekeeper’s Daughter, the debut YA thriller from Angeline Boulley. The book follows an 18-year-old Native girl as she reluctantly goes undercover in a police investigation on her Ojibwe reservation. Fisher will serve as showrunner and co-write with Wenonah Wilms, the Horsehead Girls writer who is also from the Ojibwe tribe and will also act as exec producer.

Great National Parks is a natural history docuseries that comes from Blue Planet II filmmaker James Honeyborne. The series, which is produced with Wild Space Productions, will explore some of the most wondrous national parks and wild spaces on Earth...

Exclusive: Netflix’s natural history push continues – setting a feature-doc about kangaroos as its latest trip into the wild.

Deadline understands that the streamer has ordered 90-minute doc Kangaroos from Ample Nature, the nascent natural history division of the 9 Months with Courteney Cox producer.

The film has started production in Australia and it will film down under over a lengthy period of time, as is usual with all major wildlife projects.

It is Netflix’s latest natural history project, having launched Our Planet, its David Attenborough-narrated series from Silverback Films, in 2019, as well as Night on Earth, the Samira Wiley-narrated series from Plimsoll Productions, and Absurd Planet from Conde Nast Entertainment and Love Productions USA.

The streamer has also ordered Oceans from Freeborne Media, the production company set up by Blue Planet II creator James Honeyborne, as part of an overall deal.

It marks the first commission for Ample Nature,...

What “Charlotte’s Web” did in the popular imagination for the humble, much-maligned barn spider, “My Octopus Teacher” sets out to achieve for the eight-limbed mollusc of its title — a creature of great, shimmery beauty and mystery regarded by many with more bemusement than affection. That’s a PR status that has kept hungry humans high on the octopus’ long list of enemies, but Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed’s engaging, massively crowdpleasing Netflix documentary goes out of its way to humanize these amorphous aliens of the sea: both through standard anthropomorphic techniques familiar from the nature-doc playbook of Attenborough and Disney alike, and through the empathetic presence of its producer-narrator, South African filmmaker and conservationist Craig Foster.

Foster’s unexpected kinship with a single octopus, encountered while diving in the richly populated kelp forest of South Africa’s Cape of Storms, gives this simply framed doc its narrative thrust and emotional heft.

TIFF Drama Gets Canada Deal

Exclusive: Following its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, levelFILM has acquired Canadian rights to crime noir Akilla’s Escape by director Charles Officer, who co-wrote the script with Wendy ‘Motion’ Braithwaite. Produced by Jake Yanowski & Officer of Canesugar Filmworks, pic stars slam poet Saul Williams and newcomer Thamela Mpumlwana who anchors the story about an ‘urban child-soldier’. The film is slated for a mid-2021 theatrical release. Executive producers are Martin F. Katz, Karen Wookey, and Michael A. Levine. XYZ handles international sales. Vertical has domestic rights.

Raw Hires BBC Studios Exec As COO Gold Rush and Don’t F**k With Cats producer Raw has hired Fiona Clarke, BBC Studios’ director of business and commercial for factual, to the newly-created role of chief operating officer. She will report to CEO Joely Fether and take up her role in the New Year.

For the first time in its 63-year history, BBC Studios’ renowned Natural History Unit is setting up shop outside the U.K. In 2021, the Nhu will launch a permanent satellite office in Los Angeles.

The Nhu is behind some of the world’s most iconic natural history programs, including “Blue Planet II” and “Planet Earth II,” which have been watched by more than a billion people globally. The new U.S. outfit will allow the production unit to better serve its growing roster of American buyers, with a laser focus on the streamers.

In the last 18 months alone, the unit has won projects with Apple TV Plus (“Prehistoric Planet”) and NBCUniversal (10-part landmark series “The New World”), as well as PBS (“The Green Planet”), BBC America (“Frozen Planet II”) and Discovery (“Endangered”). There’s also a collaboration in place with “Avatar” helmer James Cameron and Ocean X for Nat Geo.

When Hans Zimmer signed up to compose the score to Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy, he probably thought he knew what to expect.

It was the pair’s ninth project together, following successful collaborations on the likes of Backdraft, Frost/Nixon, and The Da Vinci Code. David Fleming, who previously collaborated with Zimmer on the music to Blue Planet II, The Lion King, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 and Top Gun: Maverick, had come onboard Hillbilly Elegy as co-composer.

But just as Howard was wrapping production on the film — an adaptation of J.D. Vance’s best-selling autobiography starring Gabriel Basso as Vance, Amy Adams as ...

When Hans Zimmer signed up to compose the score to Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy, he probably thought he knew what to expect.

It was the pair’s ninth project together, following successful collaborations on the likes of Backdraft, Frost/Nixon, and The Da Vinci Code. David Fleming, who previously collaborated with Zimmer on the music to Blue Planet II, The Lion King, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984 and Top Gun: Maverick, had come onboard Hillbilly Elegy as co-composer.

But just as Howard was wrapping production on the film — an adaptation of J.D. Vance’s best-selling autobiography starring Gabriel Basso as Vance, Amy Adams as ...

Sony/Atv Music Publishing announced it has centralized its two production music divisions — Extreme Music and Emi Production Music — as one global operation and named Russell Emanuel as its President & CEO. According to the announcement, the appointment gives Emanuel oversight of Sony/Atv’s global production music business, which will combine the strengths and experiences of both companies to better serve its composers and clients around the world.

Emi Production Music is home to top libraries including Kpm, Music House and Juice, and Extreme Music represents a roster of talent including Quincy Jones, Hans Zimmer, Sir George Martin, Labrinth, Rodney Jerkins, Ramin Djawadi, and many more.

Sony/Atv Chairman and CEO Jon Platt stated, “Russell is undeniably one of the best in the business, and I’m pleased to recognize his expertise and influence with this new leadership role. His vision to integrate these two successful production music entities will further support our composers,...

Exclusive: Apple TV+ has discovered its next natural history series – a project that uses the latest audio technology to tell wildlife stories.

The streamer has ordered 12-part series Earthsound from British production company Offspring Films.

The half-hour series uses audio technology and cinematic 360 sound design to reveal the unexpected, unfamiliar and untold natural stories on every continent of the planet.

Earthsound will be exec produced by Offspring Film’s founder and creative director Alex Williamson and with Sam Hodgson as series producer. Justin Anderson (Planet Earth II), Joe Stevens (Blue Planet II) and Tom Payne (Big Blue: Live) will serve as producers for Offspring Films.

Based in the natural history hub of Bristol, UK, Offspring Films was set up in 2014 by Williamson, who was previously head of development at the BBC’s Natural History Unit, where oversaw the creation of series including Planet Earth II.

It produced Apple’s Earth at Night in Color,...

Silverback Films made a splash last year with Emmy-winning natural history hit “Our Planet,” which quickly became Netflix’s most-watched docuseries soon after launching.

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the ground-breaking series mixed jaw-dropping scenes of nature with an urgent reminder to viewers that everything they are witnessing on screen is imperilled by human activity.

This month, Silverback returns with feature documentary “David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet.”

Billed as Attenborough’s witness statement to the world, it documents the famed 94-year-old naturalist’s life in filmmaking, the destructive impact of humans on the natural world — and his vision for change to save the planet.

Backed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the film has a theatrical release around the world from Sept. 28, and will then launch globally on Netflix this autumn, and is also accompanied by a book.

“When David first started travelling in the 1950s, the natural world was pretty much intact,...

David Attenborough cemented his third straight win at tonight’s Creative Artists Emmy Awards, taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Narration for his work on the BBC America documentary “Seven Worlds, One Planet.” The win comes with its fair share of controversy, though, considering Attenborough — the go-to narrator over the decades for nature documentaries — was the only white nominee.

The Outstanding Narrator category is a relatively young one for the Emmys. It initially debuted back in 2016. Attenborough’s win is a bit of a shock considering the Emmys’ push towards diversity and inclusion, especially in a year where this very category saw four of five nominees being Black performers. However, the category, historically, has often been the domain of white Englishmen, going back to the year the category debuted; Jeremy Irons was the first Outstanding Narrator winner for his work on “Game of Lions.” Since that time predominately white actors have snagged wins,...

Netflix’s “Queer Eye” won its third consecutive Emmy for outstanding structured reality show, and two different “Apollo” projects won big as the Emmy Awards kicked off on Monday night with the first of five nights of Creative Arts awards.

The Creative Arts Emmys, which is normally an in-person event at the Microsoft Theatre over two nights the weekend before the Primetime Emmy telecast, will instead take place Sept. 14 to Sept. 17, and again on Sept. 19, all hosted by Nicole Byer (“Nailed It”).

“There’s nothing normal about 2020, it’s wild,” Byer said. “If you don’t like me now, you’re not going to like me for the next four days, I’m sorry!”

Monday night’s special included presenters such as Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan, Drew Scott, Daryl Chill Mitchell, Gina Carano, Rob Riggle, RuPaul and Jb Smoove. Kareem Abdul Jabbar noted that below-the-line jobs in Hollywood still have...

International powerhouse BBC Studios is leaning heavily into new and expanding SVOD partnerships with the likes of Discovery and its global-facing BritBox service as it looks to weather the Covid-19 era.

In an exclusive interview, Paul Dempsey, president of global distribution, tells Variety that BBC Studios’ landmark Discovery deal, through which the “Blue Planet II” and “Seven Worlds, One Planet” distributor is supplying around $393 million worth of natural history programming to Discovery’s forthcoming streamer, is a “good example of what you can expect to see from us over the next few years.”

“Over time, we’re moving from having a content sales business driven by relationships with 600-700 customers around the world and our own linear services, to a world that will be dominated by a group that’s more global in their outlook — large customers with whom we’ll have deeper relationships,” says Dempsey. Look no further than...