Titanic Series Nominated in National TV Awards
October 31, 2012
The critically acclaimed series Titanic with Len Goodman, has been nominated in the Best Factual Series category in the 18th National Television Awards.
The 3×30-minute show, commissioned by BBC One and BBC Northern Ireland. marked the centenary of the sinking of the famous liner and was presented by Strictly Come Dancing’s Len Goodman. Goodman had his own Titanic connection; before he was a ballroom dancer, he was a Woolwich welder at shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, the same company that built Titanic at their docks in Belfast 50 years earlier.
Titanic with Len Goodman was made by the Northern Ireland based Indie, 360Production. Executive producer John Farren says “I was delighted to see the story of a Northern Irish icon being made from our Irish base.
“It’s a great time to work in television in Northern Ireland as there is a real sense of gathering momentum in the country and I hope everyone in Northern Ireland will vote for the show so the profile of the country’s television industry is raised even more,” adds Farren
Voting in the National Television Awards is open to the public at http://www.nationaltvawards.com, until 11 October 2012. The awards ceremony will take place on 23rd January 2013.
Titanic with Len Goodman was also broadcast on the PBS channel in the US and proved to one of the channel’s highest rated factual shows.
Dragon Wars: Fire and Fury
September 4, 2012
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ON THE EVE OF DRAGON*CON, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL ANNOUNCES DRAGON WARS: FIRE AND FURY
New World Premiere Special Set to Air Later This Year in the U.S.; Globally in 2013
(Washington, D.C. — August 31, 2012) National Geographic Channel (NGC) announced today a new special by Impossible Pictures — Dragon Wars: Fire and Fury — which takes viewers inside the greatest battles between man and dragon in Western folklore. The announcement was made on the opening day of Dragon*con, the largest multimedia, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film (www.dragoncon.org), taking place this weekend in Atlanta, Ga.
Dragon Wars will premiere later this year on National Geographic Channel in the U.S. and globally in 2013, in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages.
“The protagonists in these tales were the original superheroes of their day — Batman has his high-tech gadgets and vehicles, Spiderman his superstrength and web spinners — but legends such as Sigurd or Beowulf had only their swords and wits to defeat what many believed to be a real opponent,” shared executive producer for NGC Kevin Mohs. “With the upcoming release of ‘The Hobbit,’ the fascination with the folklore of this time continues — in fact, many of these ancient Norse and Anglo-Saxon folktales were the inspiration for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.”
Told through stunning animated and live action sequences, Dragon Wars: Fire and Fury will explore the many influences that came together to create the sum of all medieval fears: the dragon. Centered around four historically documented dragon reports across centuries, reality and myth collide as accounts of the fire-breathing monsters once described by our ancestors are brought to life.
“Believe it or not, these creatures were once thought to be just as real as wolves, boars or deer,” commented Executive Vice President of Programming Michael Cascio. “This special will add a historical background to what most of us only know as fairy tales.”
By examining the mysterious landscapes where dragons were believed to have lived and died, weapons that were used to slay them and ancient documents that detail encounters with the beast, Dragon Wars: Fire and Fury goes inside the age of the dragon.
“The combination of CGI and live action used to illustrate dragon folklore adds a new intensity to familiar stories which have been passed down for centuries, some of which are still part of popular movies and games today,” said Executive Producer Steve Maher from Impossible Pictures.
Dragon Wars: Fire and Fury is produced for National Geographic Channel by Impossible Pictures. For Impossible Pictures, executive producers are Steve Maher and Paul Wooding. For the National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Kevin Mohs; executive vice president of programming is Michael Cascio.
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About National Geographic Channels
Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation’s major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 84 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.
About Impossible Pictures
Impossible Pictures is a multiaward-winning independent television production company based in the UK and led by Tim Haines, best known as the creator of the groundbreaking “Walking With Dinosaurs”series, and the co-creator of the hugely popular “Primeval.” The Impossible Pictures group of companies includes Impossible Pictures Ireland (“Sinbad,”“World War II: The Last Heroes”), Impossible Kids (“Fleabag Monkeyface”) and 360Production (“Crusades”).For more information, visit www.impossiblepictures.co.uk or contact grant.bushby@impossiblepictures.co.uk.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dara Klatt, 202-912-6720, dklatt@natgeotv.com
Kristin Montalbano, 202-912-3244, kmontalbano@natgeotv.com
Sinbad Game Launched to Tie-In with TV Series
July 16, 2012
Fans of Sky 1 HD’s latest hit action-adventure series, Sinbad now have the opportunity to dive even deeper into the show’s mystical adventures with a free iPhone and iPad game that has been released in the same week as the start of the drama series on the channel. It is believed this is the first time an app game has been released almost day and date with the launch of a multi-episode drama series.
Available to download now from iTunes, the game is a gateway into a magical word inspired by the 12 x 1 hour Sinbad series, where players set sail aboard their very own ship that they can improve and customise with credit earned in each adventure. Players are catapulted into the fast-paced action of Sinbad’s world as they try to collect treasure and relics while fighting off fearsome enemies.
Sinbad himself and other members of his crew are on-hand to offer advice and help steer players along their very own journey across the oceans. Developed by Rebellion (Alien vs Predator, Sniper Elite), the game features simple one-button controls for players to combat enemies, and the fluid animation creates a fast- paced game that will immerse players of all ages.
As the series develops, new features linked to key episodes will unlock within the game – including new challenges and new villains.
Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, says: “Sinbad is a fantastic show and provided endless inspiration for this game. The opportunity to set sail on the high seas and have fun with a huge variety of challenges and adventures is something we’re thrilled to bring to fans of the series.”
Tim Haines, Executive Producer for Impossible Pictures, the production company behind Sinbad said, “Rebellion has done an amazing job bringing the spirit of adventure that’s at the heart of Sinbad to this game. We’re really proud to have been part of it and pleased that fans of the show can now have an epic adventure of their own – that only they control.”
Sinbad airs on Sky 1 HD on Sundays at 7pm with repeats on Sky 2 on Wednesday at 9pm and Sky 1 HD on Thursdays at 9pm.
Sinbad Sells Worldwide
June 27, 2012
BBC Worldwide, international distributors of Sky1′s Sinbad, has already sold the series to a number of international broadcasters with more still to come. Territories that have acquired the 12-part series so far include: Australia, France, Germany, Canada, South Africa, Turkey, Slovakia and Czech Republic. Watch this space for more news on international sales …
War Hero in My Family Starts 1st May on Ch 5
April 25, 2012
War Hero In My Family, a 6×1 hour series for Channel 5, takes 12 celebrities on personal journeys to trace their family’s involvement in World War II. In each episode, two celebrities will explore some of the key moments of the Second World War through the acts of heroism and individual self-sacrifice made by one of their relatives. Each personality will also meet veterans who served alongside their relative and hear first-hand accounts of the realities of war and, in some episodes, the celebrity gets the chance to experience the work their family member did in the fight to win the war – whether it be patching up a Spitfire to driving a Sherman tank.
The list of celebrities in the War Hero in My Family series includes:
• Lisa Faulkner
• Chris Tarrant
• Angela Rippon
• Quentin Willson
• Ann Widdecombe
• Paddy Ashdown
• Sara Cox
• David Gower
• Helen Lederer
• Robert Llewellyn
• Pamela Stephenson
• Dom Littlewood
This poignant, moving and at times very emotional series starts on Channel 5 Tuesday 1st May at 8.00pm.
© 2013 Impossible Pictures