NGTI WRAPS UP SCANDINAVIAN DEALS

Published: 29 June 2005

National Geographic Television International today announces that it has finalised a number of deals with broadcasters in Scandinavia.

YLE in Finland has licensed TINY HUMANS: FINDING HOBBITS IN FLORES (1 x 52), one of NGTI’s lead shows, launched at MipTV. The broadcaster has also taken THE PERFECT SWARM (1 X 52) about modern day locust plagues, PROTECTING THE PRESIDENT (1 X 52), looking behind the scenes of the US Secret Service and GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL (3 X 52). GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL is the major event series based on Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name, investigating why some countries are highly developed and some remain poor. GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL is a Lion TV Production for National Geographic Television & Film.

YLE is also taking a number of NGTI’s natural history programmes: ARCTIC VOYGAGE: ON THIN ICE (1 X 52), MASTERS OF THE ARCTIC ICE (1 X 52), ULTIMATE CROCODILE (1 X 52), CHEETAHS: DEADLY RACE (1 X 52), INTO THE LOST WORLD (1 x 52) and the Nature Conservation Films production ELEPHANTS OF THE KILIMANJARO (1 X 52).

NRK in Norway has also licensed TINY HUMANS: FINDING HOBBITS IN FLORES. This Special covers one of the most important fossil discoveries in over half a century – the excavation of a species of tiny prehistoric humans called Homo
floresiensis. Nicknamed Hobbits by the scientists who discovered them,
these early humans stood just three and a half feet tall - the size of a
modern four-year-old - and began to fundamentally challenge our perception
of who we are and where we come from. TINY HUMANS has been produced by National Geographic Television & Film, as a co-production with Channel 4, Canal Plus and ZDF.

TV Norge in Norway has licensed THE TRUE FACE OF HURRICANES (1 x 52) in addition to a one hour programme on the 1989 San Francisco earthquake from the CATASTROPHE four part series.

In Denmark, Danmarks Radio has licensed VIOLENT PLANET (1 X 52), a new programme that looks at the science behind some of the extreme forces of nature that impact on populated areas around the globe.

Roz Parker, sales executive at NGTI responsible for Scandinavia says: “As with a number of territories, strong history and science programmes are currently proving very popular in Scandinavia. Tiny Humans: Finding Hobbits in Flores and Guns, Germs and Steel are undoubtedly two of our strongest and more ‘academic’ shows at the moment, with ’Hobbits’ in particular really capturing the imagination of factual buyers. We are also pleased that our natural history programming remains popular and due to the scientific research involved in many of our shows, they find homes in both wildlife and science slots.”