BBC Commissions Steve Backshall Adventure Travel Series

BBC, UKTV and FremantleMedia have collaborated to commission a brand new adventure travel series, 'Expedition With Steve Backshall'.

The series will be filled with world firsts, including: the first descent of a white-water river in the Himalayas, trekking through unexplored jungle in South America, and climbing mountains in the deserts of the Middle East.

Expedition With Steve Backshall will follow Steve, his team of world-class experts and his film crew, as they venture into uncharted territory.

Made by True To Nature, the first four, hour-long episodes will premiere on BBC Two in 2019. Dave will premiere six exclusive episodes later in the year, followed by its own versions of the BBC's episodes. FremantleMedia International has secured global distribution rights.

Richard Watsham, UKTV’s Director of Commissioning, said: "This is a truly innovative commissioning model that forges an exciting new partnership between two of Britain's leading free-to-air broadcasters. The fact that both the BBC and Fremantle want to invest in Expedition is a testament to the spectacular scale of this project. Our strategy to raise UKTV Originals to new heights is gathering pace. Steve Backshall has a huge fan base amongst Dave viewers of all ages and I can't wait to see how the incredible trust and companionship of Steve's expert team combine to achieve a number of newsworthy world firsts."

Tom McDonald, BBC Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and Natural History, commented: "Steve's last two expeditions for BBC Two were adrenalised, immersive and wowed the audience so we're delighted to be working with UKTV and True to Nature to premiere his next adventures. Steve is unique, brave and adventurous. But also hugely inquisitive, insightful and knowledgeable - the perfect mix for contemporary Specialist Factual at the BBC."

Angela Neillis, Director of Non-Scripted for FremantleMedia International, added: "We're delighted to partner with the world-class team at True To Nature, the adventure daredevil Steve Backshall, UKTV and BBC for Expedition. Steve will take global audiences on an epic journey of wonder and awe, and we're looking forward to working with broadcasters internationally to build Expedition into a global brand. We're always on the lookout to partner with producers who can bring us the best in factual programming and jaw-dropping television experiences. Wendy and her team deliver just that."