Blue Ant Studios and WildBear greenlight 18 hours of factual series through new co-funding partnership

Mark Bishop (left) and Michael Tear

Canada’s Blue Ant Studios (BAS) and Australian outfit WildBear Entertainment are partnering to co-fund three new factual series for the international market.

The two companies have greenlit 18 hours of history and engineering programming under the deal, with BAS retaining worldwide distribution rights.

Wildbear will produce all three titles, with Lilla Hurst serving as executive producer on each.

Secrets of the Lost Cities (6×60’), explores the world’s most ancient and mysterious urban areas, explaining the secrets of their power and ultimate downfall.

World War II: History on Trial (6×60’), meanwhile, details the war crimes trials that took place in Germany, Japan and other countries.

Finally, Engineering by Catastrophe (6×60’) follows the construction of some of the world’s most failsafe structures, from dams and stadiums to container ships and bridges.

Mark Bishop, co-president of BAS, said: “While greenlighting these 18 hours could be considered a risk, working with a trusted partner like WildBear mitigates that risk and ensures we continue to fuel our pipeline with the sort of great factual series that buyers are seeking.”

Michael Tear, CEO of WildBear, said: “We are delighted to be working so closely with Blue Ant Studios in this way, sharing the potential risk – and, hopefully, the upside.

“This support not only demonstrates confidence in our productions but also greatly speeds up the process and allows us to quickly get series into the marketplace at a time when commissioning decisions are being made rather slowly.”