Ross’s first Discovery slate unveiled

Discovery Channel in the US has revealed its first slate focused on natural history and authentic factual content under new president Rich Ross, while there is also a first drama commission for Investigation Discovery.

Rich Ross

Ross signalled an end to faux reality series and a return to Discovery core brand values when he succeeded Eileen O’Neill at the turn of the year.

His first slate, unveiled at Discovery’s annual upfront, includes natural history special Racing Extinction from Oceanic Preservation Society and Vulcan Productions. The programme assembles a team of artists and activists on an operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them.

A special Elevation Weekend of mountaineering documentaries is planned, including award-winning feature Valley Uprising from Sender Films and Big Up Productions.

The channel’s survival format Naked and Afraid will return with more participants. Naked and Afraid XL sees six men and six women who triumphed in the previous season return and do battle with the elements once more.

Other factual series greenlit include Treasure Quest, from Mak Pictures, which follows the search for an Incan gold haul, and Original Media’s Pacific Warriors, which follows Hawaian fisherman who work alone in kayaks on the open ocean.

Lunar XPrize, from UK indie Arrow Media, follows teams around the world competing for a US$30m Google prize to land a robot on the moon. Arrow previously produced the Live From Space special for Channel 4 in the UK and National Geographic in the US.

Raw Television is also working on a scripted series about the birth of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Crime-focused cablenet Investigation Discovery is also working on its first scripted commission. October Films is producing three-parter Serial Thriller, which follows the investigators, victims and associates of one of America’s most notorious serial killers.

The commissions were all unveiled at the Discovery upfront in New York yesterday, where it was also announced that the company’s motor-themed cablenet Velocity is set for global roll-out in the coming year.