Blue Ant shows its MipTV hand

Canada-based distribution company Blue Ant International is betting on nature programming as it reveals its slate for the forthcoming online version of MipTV, beginning April 12.

Wildlife dominates the specialist factual section of the playlist, with Dawn to Dusk (6×60’) from Kiwi prodco NHNZ focusing on a day in the life of animals all over the world.

NHNZ show Asia’s Wild Secrets (3×60′), meanwhile, examines the wildlife of the world’s biggest continent.

New Kids in the Wild (5×60’) takes a look at the vital first few months of an animal’s life. The series comes from the UK’s Off The Fence Productions.

The Great Elephant Tale (1×60’) is a one-off film following three different African elephant herds with common challenges to face, from wildlife specialist Merx International.

Two more Merx shows feature, both based in Africa: Africa’s Wild Year (4×60’), which spends one episode on each of the four seasons in 10 different African countries; and Baboons: Rules of the Troop (1×60’), which tells the story of the resilience of various types of baboon.

As well as land animals, the oceans feature heavily on Blue Ant’s slate. The Pacific (4×60’) from London prodco Voltage TV celebrates the natural life and environment of the world’s largest ocean.

Into the Blue (8×60’) takes a look at wildlife in a more specific area of the Pacific – the Coral Triangle in South East Asia. The series comes from Spanish producer Zona Mixt.

In Wild Pacific Rescue (3×60’) from Canada’s White Pine Pictures, Dr Marty Haulena and his team rescue animals from the Pacific coastline and treat them on land.

Kingdom of the Tide, a one-hour special from Toronto’s Infield Fly Productions, examines the intertidal zone and the animals that inhabit it, highlighting how fragile it is.

In factual content, Deep Water Salvage (8×60’), from London prodco Renowned Films and Blue Ant-owned Saloon Media, follows four marine salvage firms around the world as they race to rescue ships from the fury of the ocean.

Saloon Media shows feature heavily on the slate after Blue Ant acquired the company in October last year. Searching for Secrets (6×60’) is a co-production with the UK’s Bigger Bang that lets local people take viewers on a tour of their city.

Another Saloon travel show is World’s Most Scenic River Journeys (6×60’), featuring actor Bill Nighy narrating a journey along six of the world’s rivers.

Saloon Media and London’s Arrow Media’s long-running season seven of See No Evil (56×60’) is also available from Blue Ant. The series looks at the role CCTV footage has played in stopping crime over the years.

Also from Saloon, Hotel Paranormal Season Two (20×60’) tells the stories of people who have encountered ghosts in hotels and motels, narrated by Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd.

UK company ITN Productions brings aspirational content to the slate with Chatsworth House (6×60’) viewing the British stately home. Similarly, viewers can get a look at how the elite celebrate the Nativity with Christmas at Stately Homes (2×60’) and A Very Royal Christmas: Sandringham Secrets (1 x 60′).

Fish of the Day (38×30’), from UK outdoor prodco Wild Film, goes from ocean to table in creating the best fish dishes.

UK show Fraud Squad (20×60’) returns for its third season made by the UK’s Brown Bob Productions, while Women on the Force (12×60’) returns for season two.

Actor Jim Belushi tells the story of his path to becoming a cannabis farmer in Growing Belushi (3×60’) from US prodcos Original and Live Nation.

Blue Ant is also putting its faith in what it describes as ‘high-impact documentaries’, including UFO Town (1×60’) from Saloon Media, which features amateur UFO investigator Ian Rogers trying to make sense of his teenage encounter with one.

Murdered by a Mob (1×60’) made by the UK’s Zeppelin Films tells the story of Bijan Ebrahimi, an Iranian refugee who was beaten to death after he was mistakenly outed as a paedophile.

See What You Made Me Do is a three-parter from Australia’s Northern Pictures looking at the issue of domestic abuse, while Why Horror is a one-off feature from Toronto prodco Paradox Pictures that looks at people’s fascination with the horror genre.

Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head is available as either a feature or one-hour piece and tracks the return of Canadian rock band Teenage Head to the spotlight.

Fauci: The Virus Hunter is a one-hour special from US Spanish language pubcaster HITN looking at the life of the chief medical advisor to the US president.

Also on the slate is kids’ show Let’s Go for a Walk (50×15’) from UK prodco Hello Halo. The CBeebies show features a child-led group accompanied by a ranger as they experience the great outdoors.

Finally, Blue Ant has scripted series Web of Darkness (8×60’) from Saloon Media, which features five supernatural stories per episode that are brought to life on screen.