PRESS RELEASES
January 17, 2020

BBC Studios and National Geographic Announce Three Series Commitment Deal Around Emmy-Winning Life Below Zero Franchise

All New Spinoff Series, Life Below Zero: Next Generation, plus additional seasons of Life Below Zero and Life Below Zero: Port Protection

Pasadena, CA – Following Life Below Zero’s fourth Emmy® last fall, global content leader BBC Studios and National Geographic announce today a three-series commitment deal that expands the Life Below Zero brand in the United States, Canada and Caribbean Basin.

The deal includes an all new eight-part spinoff series, Life Below Zero: Next Generation, produced by BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production unit — the original creative and production team behind Life Below Zero. Life Below Zero: Next Generation will follow new individuals who, in a brave move, recently left their traditional lifestyle behind to face a challenging new world off the grid in the wilds of Alaska.

In addition to Life Below Zero: Next Generation, the three series-deal commitment includes two additional seasons of Life Below Zero and an additional season of Life Below Zero: Port Protection.

The common theme in Life Below Zero and Life Below Zero: Port Protection is a cast of people who have left traditional society behind. Instead, they have chosen a different life, with varying degrees of danger and challenges, in the remote regions of Alaska. In Life Below Zero: Next Generation, the all-new cast members have tried contemporary life and rejected it in favor of a life of freedom in the brutal Alaskan wilderness. They speak to the growing dissatisfaction the current generation has with technologies, which is ubiquitous in modern life. The crew will capture the cast members as they rush to prepare for and survive the frozen months of winter to the spring thaw.

Life Below Zero has become a multiple Emmy award-winning fan favorite because it captures the harsh reality and stark beauty of living off the grid in one of the world’s most unpredictable and unforgiving environments. It truly delivers all the awe and wonder our viewers expect — with zero risk of frostbite,” said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president, global unscripted entertainment, National Geographic. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue the LBZ adventure with Next Generation, which follows the dramatic stories of less experienced individuals who’ve made the brave decision to ditch their 9-to-5s and attempt to forge a new life for themselves in the vastness of Alaska’s wild frontier.”

Travis Shakespeare, senior vice president, unscripted programming, BBC Studios, and executive producer, commented, “This is a fantastic opportunity to expand all the best Life Below Zero has to offer, including a whole new generation of inspiring young women and men who are choosing to go against the tide of modernity in search of a life of freedom and self-agency. Viewers can expect the same high production values and riveting storytelling that have become synonymous with Life Below Zero, along with stylistic updates and all-new characters.”

Matt Forde, managing director, international production & formats, BBC Studios, continued, “We are incredibly proud of the reception our franchise, Life Below Zero, has had around the world and couldn’t be happier to see it have such an organic expansion with the addition of Life Below Zero: Next Generation. In National Geographic, we have a partner who believes in this brand and — like us — relishes bringing viewers the stories of women and men who risk it all to live a life that’s true to themselves.”

Similar to the other titles in the Life Below Zero franchise, Life Below Zero: Next Generation will use Emmy-winning cinematographers, drone operators and specialty camera operators to delve into the heart of each story. The series will employ the innovative technology to feature epic visuals of the rugged Alaskan landscape from season to season; however, setting it apart from Life Below Zero and Port Protection, Next Generation will be crafted with a highly contemporary style to evoke a life of independence, utilizing new twists on graphics, music, shooting styles and editing techniques.

Since its debut, Life Below Zero has received 11 Emmy nominations; has won four Emmys for its craft in cinematography and picture editing, including one in 2019; and is a National Geographic Channel fan favorite. For more than 100 episodes, viewers have watched the series’ tough Alaskans battle minus 40-degree temperatures, whiteout snowstorms, unpredictable frozen terrain and dangerous predators in one of the most isolated regions in the world.

Life Below Zero, Life Below Zero: Port Protection and Life Below Zero: Next Generation are produced by BBC Studios for National Geographic. Executive producers for BBC Studios are Travis Shakespeare and Joseph Litzinger; for National Geographic executive producer is Kevin Tao Mohs and executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment is Geoff Daniels.

For more information or full episode screeners, visit www.natgeotvpressroom.com.

Life Below Zero: Next Generation Trailer: http://qlnk.io/ql/5e21f3d0e4b0a221e2781eab

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeLinkedIn and Pinterest.

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Formed in April 2018 by the merger of BBC Worldwide and BBC Studios, it spans content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries. BBC Studios’ award-winning British programs are internationally recognized across a broad range of genres and specialties. It has offices in 22 markets globally, including seven production bases in the UK and production bases and partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which makes over 2,500 hours of content a year, is a champion for British creativity around the world and a committed partner for the UK’s independent sector.

In the Americas, BBC Studios’ operates two production units – one in Los Angeles, responsible for ratings juggernaut and Emmy®-nominated Dancing with the Stars and multi-award-winning Life Below Zero, and the other in Brazil, where local productions Dancing Brasil and Bake Off Brasil have become breakout hits. The company manages joint venture relationships with AMC Networks for flagship channel BBC AMERICA (U.S.) – home of original series Killing Eve and global brands Dynasties, Doctor Who, and Top Gear – and with ITV for SVoD service BritBox (U.S./Canada), as well as strategic partnerships in Canada with Blue Ant Media for BBC Earth Channel and Corus for BBC Canada.

Media Contacts

For National Geographic:
Madison Bell, 818-802-1495, Madison.bell@natgeo.com

For BBC Studios:
Fabrizia Mauro, 310-228-1016, Fabrizia.Mauro@bbc.com