Michaela Strachan rescues African Penguins on Eden

Michaela

UKTV, the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers a month, today announced the co-production of The Great Penguin Rescue, with NHU Africa.

The 6x30' series follows wildlife presenter and conservation enthusiast Michaela Strachan on her mission to help save the only endemic Penguin species to South Africa. The UK premiere is due to be shown on Eden, Britain's leading natural history channel, this November.

During the 10 years that Michaela has lived in her adopted home of Cape Town, South Africa, the peninsula?s penguins have found a special place in her heart. She joins forces with the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal (SANCCOB), which rescues late born penguin young every year. The series documents Michaela as she becomes a very hands-on mum to over 750 very demanding chicks.

The deal was negotiated by UKTV's Acquisitions and Co-productions Manager Emma Sparks and NHU Africa's Commissioning Editor Vyv Simson and ordered by Eden?s General Manager Adrian Wills.

Adrian Wills said:

"For The Great Penguin Rescue Michaela Strachan for once is not the 'presenter', but a volunteer with the camera focusing on her hard work and following her as she cleans and feeds penguin chicks abandoned by their parents. It's obvious she is passionate about saving these enchanting birds, and her charming and enthusiastic personality shines through each episode, making her a great addition to the Eden channel.?

Vyv Simson said:

?The Great Penguin Rescue is a heart-warming series that tells a unique story and Michaela is the perfect story teller.?

The Great Penguin Rescue is a NHU Africa Production, produced and directed by Alice Clarke and with Vyv Simson as Executive Producer on the series.

-ENDS-

For more information contact:

Emily Jones, Publicist, Factual

Notes to Editors

About Eden HD (Sky 532/559, Virgin 208, HD: 209)

From the scale and beauty of BBC blue chip series like Planet Earth, Human Planet and Madagascar to the premieres of Wild Colombia with Nigel Marven and Deserts And Life, Eden guarantees a daily shot of astonishment and high quality natural science programming. New and exclusive to Eden in 2013, David Attenborough?s Natural Curiosities shines the spotlight on nature?s most extraordinary evolutionary anomalies.

www.exploreeden.co.uk

About UKTV

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 number one channel in the Factual genre, the number one channels in the Lifestyle genre (Pay and Free) and the most famous channel and programmes in the Entertainment genre.

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 on 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.

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