BBC Studios makes Kingdom pre-sales down under and reveals unscripted line-up

Kingdom studies four African animal families over five years

Nine in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand and Movistar Plus+ in Spain are among the pre-buyers for the latest big-budget project from the BBC’s Natural History Unit (NHU).

Kingdom will be launched by BBC Studios at Mipcom next week and has already been pre-sold to Shanghai Media Group’s Dragon TV in China, WOWOW Japan and NPO Netherlands.

The 6×60’ series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, dramatically chronicles the real-life sagas of four African animal families filmed over five years in one location.

In addition to the pre-sales of Kingdom, BBC Studios has unveiled its unscripted slate to be showcased at Mipcom, which includes Matriarch (working title), Free Nelson Mandela (wt), Civilisations: Rise & Fall, Rob & Rylan’s Passage to India, Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake and Nisha Katona’s Home Kitchen.

Matriarch (2×52’) is another production from BBC Studios’ NHU, coproduced with PBS and The WNET Group. The two-parter explores the lives of two chimpanzee families and the females who lead them, charted by world-renowned naturalist Dr Jane Goodall, who passed away recently.

Free Nelson Mandela (3×60’/1×90’), from Rogan Productions and GroupM Motion Entertainment, documents Mandela’s journey from activist to revolutionary, from prisoner to negotiator and how he led South Africa to democracy.

Civilisations: Rise & Fall finds clues to the fate of four once mighty civilisations

BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions’ Civilisations: Rise & Fall (4×60’) examines why four famous and mighty civilisations found themselves on the brink of disaster, and how the art and artefacts they left behind hold clues to their fate.

Rob & Rylan’s Passage to India (3×60’), from Zinc Media Company-owned Rex, sees celebrity friends Rob Rinder and Rylan travel to India to seek out incredible art, religion, culture and connections.

BBC Studios Entertainment Productions’ Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake (15×60’) looks at how the TV star and podcaster has spent years working with charities to improve the lives of our four-legged friends.

Finally, Nisha Katona’s Home Kitchen (10×45’), from STV Studios, follows UK restaurateur Nisha Katona at home as she cooks and chats with friends and family.