News

Cannes, October 14th, 2008 - A multi million dollar television series which will reveal the power and magic of evolution has been announced at MIPCOM.

Japanese broadcaster NHK is taking the lead in the 6 x 1 hour blue chip Weird Edens series. This will be their biggest natural history documentary series in the next few years.

It was announced as NHK reveals plans to boost its international co-production partnerships over the next three years. One of NHK's best-established co-production partners, New Zealand factual production company NHNZ, will again team up with NHK on the series.

The NHK-NHNZ partnership has proved its worth twice already - first on the stunning Wild Asia series (1999-2000) and recently through the ground breaking Equator series (2005-2007).

NHK executive producer Shinichi Murata says that Weird Edens has all the ingredients to be the next big natural history ratings hit.

"Weird Edens is sure to offer our viewers a new, attractive and authentic experience through this series which will be crystallized from the culture and wisdom of both the East and the West. This series represents a true collaboration of stories and styles which we are confident will result in another remarkable series," he says.

Weird Edens sees the successful team of NHK's Shin Murata and NHNZ's Peter Hayden again working together as executive producer and supervising producer/writer, with the addition of Andrew Waterworth as NHNZ's executive producer.

NHNZ managing director Michael Stedman says the company is thrilled to be partnering with NHK on what promised to be one of the biggest natural history productions ever made.

"Weird Edens will be natural history for the new millennium. We're excited about the opportunity to collaborate with NHK's expert filmmakers and pioneers in HD equipment such as low-light cameras and high-speed cameras. It's a winning combination that will set new standards in natural history filmmaking."

Airing at the end of 2010, Weird Edens will focus on six magical environments which are home to some of the world's most bizarre creatures. From Brazil's cerrado to Africa's great lakes, the series will explore and reveal the natural forces which shape life on our planet.

NHNZ will carry out all post production for the series which will cost well in excess of US$1million per hour to produce. Weird Edens will blend the best nature cinematography with computer graphics, visual effects and sound to create a contemporary yet timeless style for what promises to be one of this decade's most influential natural history series.