Zinc Media Group to Produce 'Stars of Science' Season 18
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Zinc Media Group has been commissioned to produce season 18 of Qatar Foundation's 'Stars of Science,' marking the U.K. factual outfit's first major entertainment commission in the Middle East.
- Zinc will lead a 'full creative reset' of the format, integrating AI technologies and refreshing its storytelling and studio experience to broaden entertainment appeal for a new generation of viewers.
- Andrea Hamilton, whose credits include 'The Voice' and 'Strictly Come Dancing,' will executive produce the new season, bringing large-scale entertainment expertise to the format.
- The next season will be produced by The Edge, Zinc's Middle East label and a Media City Qatar company, in both Arabic and English.
- Zinc Distribution is handling international sales and overseeing the show's marketing and communications strategy across 22 Arab countries and the global Arab diaspora.
- 'Stars of Science,' which features Arab innovators and entrepreneurs transforming ideas into inventions with expert guidance, is among the longest-running entertainment formats across the Arab world.
- Zinc's broader portfolio ranges from the BBC's BAFTA-winning 'The Death of Yugoslavia' to lifestyle and reality formats including 'Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour' and 'Police Interceptors.'
Why it matters: Zinc gains an anchor Middle East entertainment commission with distribution reach across 22 Arab countries and the global diaspora. Qatar Foundation's decision to bring in a U.K. production house and a 'Voice'/'Strictly' EP signals a shift toward more polished, entertainment-driven reality TV, with the AI integration marking a notable tonal pivot for a long-running educational format.
