Radar Studios is heading to the global TV marketplace MIPCOM later this month with a wide-ranging factual slate, including new Australian titles such as Police Australia and the newly announced Tony Robinson Rewrites History.
The first MIPCOM outing for the newly formed business will also see buyers introduced to Space Cowboy, Cook, Jamie Durie Future House, Ultimate Animal Rescue and a host of new travel, property and lifestyle titles.
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Radar Studios, the newest name in international content creation and distribution, is heading to its first official MIPCOM with a wide-ranging slate of new factual programming, bringing buyers distinctive characters, compelling real-world stories and returning brands across a wide range of genres such as true crime, adventure, history, travel, wildlife and property.
Leading the slate this year is Space Cowboy (1 x 90), produced by Thank You Pictures and REV Entertainment. This feature documentary tells the remarkable story of Joe Jennings, an Emmy-winning aerial cinematographer who has spent more than four decades pushing the boundaries of what can be captured in freefall.
As Jennings prepares for one of the most ambitious stunts of his career – sending a car carrying four people into freefall – the film explores the friendship, loss and personal struggles that have shaped the man behind the camera and his lifelong pursuit of the seemingly impossible.
Tony Robinson Rewrites History (6 x 60 / 12 x 30) is Radar Studios first original production. The series follows popular British broadcaster Sir Tony Robinson as he revisits some of the defining events of the past, from ancient history through to the modern era, uncovering the people, politics, rivalries, accidents and extraordinary moments of chance that shaped the world we live in today.
In doing so, he examines not only what happened, but what very nearly happened!
True crime continues to be on many buyers’ wish lists and it doesn’t come much grittier than Cook (3 x 60), produced by WTFN, RMG and Undivided Attention. Journalist Stephen Cook spent years exposing New Zealand’s criminal underworld. Then he became part of it.
Across three episodes, Cook delves into a wave of true crime that ranks among the most sensational in New Zealand’s history, encompassing hitmen, bikie gangs, international drug cartels and major police busts. But the lines between observer and participant began to blur, drawing him ever deeper into the dangerous drug trade at the heart of his stories.
True crime, but as an observational documentary, features in Police Australia (6 x 60), produced by WTFN. From the busy streets of Perth, extraordinary access to the Western Australia Police Force captures unpredictable incidents, difficult decisions and the people behind the uniform.
At its heart is a revealing look at what happens when ordinary people are required to make extraordinary decisions every day.
Ultimate Animal Rescue (8 x 60), also produced by WTFN, brings together fan-favourite vets and wildlife warriors for some of their most memorable and emotional rescues from around the world. Fearsome predators, vulnerable species and dramatic rescues combine with stories of the people dedicating their lives to protecting them – capturing the jeopardy, heartbreak and joy behind every recovery and release.
Renovation/property also continues to be a popular genre and Radar Studios has acquired two new titles. Award-winning designer Jamie Durie takes on one of his biggest challenges yet in Jamie Durie Future House (6 x 60). Produced by Rawkus Content, the series explores how innovation in design and construction could help address Australia’s housing crisis.
Durie brings together some of the country’s most ambitious builders, designers and innovators to create homes that are sustainable, resilient, cost-effective, stylish and fast to build.
Heart Of Oak (58 x 30), meanwhile, goes inside the real-world business of building, designing and renovating homes in coastal New England. Produced by Oak Development and Design, and with no manufactured drama and no cookie-cutter house flipping, the series authentically captures the challenges, personalities, decisions and inevitable problems behind creating homes in New England.
Travel and lifestyle titles new to the slate include two titles from long-term producer partner Never Too Small. My City My Backyard (10 x 30) is an intimate and personal series that celebrates the pleasure of experiencing a city through the people who know and love it best; local architects, artists and designers around the world step outside their own homes to reveal the people, places and communities that make their neighbourhoods special.
How I Live Small (10 x 30), steps inside the small homes of architects, designers and creatives around the world to discover how they make living small work for them. Through personal tours and first-hand insights, we see the creative ideas and thoughtful design decisions that make small homes more functional, flexible and enjoyable to live in.
Casa Bali (8 x 60), produced by Nomad Media Industries, is a sumptuous and cinematic series that follows renowned photographer, director and modern nomad Daniela Federici as she travels to Bali. But this isn’t a conventional travelogue, nor is it Eat, Pray, Love. It’s more Eat, Pray, Live!
Daniela explores Bali’s many different layers – from sustainability and cuisine to art and architecture – to understand what it truly means to live in this idyllic location.
Bike to Bites (17 x 30) from new producer partner Two River Pictures, sees Emmy Award-nominated producer and host Garrett Bess combine two of his favourite things – cycling and great food. As he travels along memorable bike routes, Bess’ adventures take him everywhere from local staples to specialty cuisine, where he meets owners and up-and-coming and award-winning chefs offering freshly prepared ingredients and great conversation.
Luxury Escapes, from producer Luxury Escapes Travel, returns for season nine (12 x 30), with the team travelling everywhere from Alaska’s glaciers and the sophisticated streets of Singapore to Vietnam’s street-food scene and South Africa’s big-five safari experiences.
Finally, The Fishing Show, produced by AFN, returns for a 12-hour 12th season filmed around Australia and its surrounding islands – combining sensational fishing action, breathtaking scenery, unique challenges and some sound fishing education.
Jamie I, Acquisitions Lead at Radar Studios, said:
“What excites me about this slate is the combination of really distinctive stories with ideas that have immediate international appeal.”
“There’s extraordinary access in Police Australia, high-profile talent in Tony Robinson Rewrite History, a fascinating and complicated central character in Cook, and genuine ambition and jeopardy in Space Cowboy, while Jamie Durie Future House takes on one of the biggest issues facing people everywhere – how we create better, more affordable and sustainable homes.”
“Alongside those titles, we have highly entertaining travel, food, wildlife and property programming that can work for buyers across a wide range of channels and platforms.”
“We’re always looking for content that has a clear hook but also something more underneath – great characters, great inspiration or a different world that audiences genuinely want to spend time in.”
“I think our first slate as Radar Studios delivers that in very different ways, and we’re looking forward to presenting it to buyers at MIPCOM.”
