Yesterday, Britain's biggest factual channel and part of UKTV's multi-award winning network of 10 channels, today announced a co-production deal with Like A Shot Entertainment for a second series of Forbidden History, featuring popular presenter and radio DJ, Jamie Theakston.
Adrian Wills, General Manager of Yesterday said, 'The first series of Forbidden History was a huge success for Yesterday, achieving critical-acclaim and reaching an audience of over 1.5 million viewers. In this brand new series every episode offers a fascinating insight into some of the world's most hidden secrets, all told by Jamie Theakston whose captivating storytelling really brings each topic to life for viewers.'
In this brand new 6 x 60' series, Jamie travels around the globe, from Jordan to New York, as he investigates, scrutinises and analyses history's most contentious secrets and takes viewers on his quest to discover the truth and unearth new evidence.
In one episode, Jamie enlists the expertise of local historians and experts and explores the lost city of Petra to see if ancient treasure still lies undetected beneath the ruins. In another, Jamie investigates the extraordinary theory that the Nazis were engaged in building space crafts designed to produce electromagnetic disruption, before the outbreak of World War Two.
Adrian Wills ordered the new series and the deal was negotiated by UKTV's Acquisitions and Co-Production Manager Emma Sparks.
Emma Sparks commented;
We're delighted to be working with Like A Shot Entertainment and Jamie Theakston on a second series of this mysterious and exciting programme. Viewers now have even more intriguing and astonishing stories to look forward to, including the search for the Holy Grail and Nazi UFOs.
Henry Scott, Managing Director of Like A Shot Entertainment, said
Like A Shot and our funding partners were very pleased with the look, tone and the ratings success of Forbidden History series one. We hope to raise the bar again by unearthing more great Forbidden History stories and by presenting them again in a very contemporary and entertaining fashion for series two.
During the series Jamie also tries to uncover whether evidence exists to prove that the oracle at Delphi has supernatural powers and why the Order of the Rosy Cross is so ultra-secretive. Forbidden History returns to Yesterday in Q4 2014.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Lara Feinstein, Corporate Communications Coordinator
Notes to Editors
About Yesterday (Sky 537, Virgin 203, Freeview 19)
Showcasing UK premiere series such as Raiders of the Lost Past, Museum Secrets, and Treasure Detectives, Yesterday provides entertainment inspired by history. The channel also features dynamic history and science-inspired series such as Perfect Storms: Disasters that Changed the World, and programmes which challenge expectations including Secret Life of'. Ancient history is also featured in series including Alexander's Lost Cities and Mummy Mysteries, plus modern conflict in shows such as Black Ops.
About UKTV
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers per month.
UKTV's ten imaginative channel brands - Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home and Good Food - include the most watched non-PSB channel, the most watched channel in the Factual genre and the most watched channels in the Lifestyle genre (Pay and Free). The company's most recent financial results showed a record-breaking year-end revenue of £262m, and operating profit at £71m.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC and Channel 4 content, and embracing technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision, TalkTalk, YouView, plus direct On Demand digital services. The network distributes its highly valued programmes to 200 territories around the world and supplies Sky with more hours of HD content than anyone else.
Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.
corporate.uktv.co.uk / pressoffice.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press
About Like A Shot Entertainment
Like A Shot Entertainment was created by TV Executive Henry Scott and Producer Steve Gillham in 2011 specifically to address the growing finding gap in domestic TV commissioning and focus on factual and history based content with an International appeal. Recent productions include Instruments of Death, By Royal Appointment and Fight Club: A History of Violence.
As the market leans towards a co-production, or fully producer-funded model, the financial pressures on smaller independent Producers and Directors is increasing with no signs of abating.
Like A Shot not only creates its own programmes, it also works with talented individuals to provide development funding and then produce TV programmes under the Like A Shot umbrella before securing the best international distribution and secondary rights exploitation.
We have an ethos of creating a fair deal for our creative partners in terms of co-ownership of the rights, deferred revenues and any returning series or format rights. It is this equitable relationship which has allowed us to work with some of the most creative and inspirational partners both currently and long in to the future.
Like A Shot is based in Chiswick, West London.