France TV Boards BBC & PBS Nature Doc 'An Hour On
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- France Télévisions boarded 'An Hour On Earth,' a four-part natural history series commissioned for BBC Two, iPlayer, and PBS, with Fremantle handling worldwide distribution and sealing the presale
- Offspring Films is producing the series, which premieres in 2027 and uses pioneering filming techniques to capture 'fleeting magic hours' such as the dawn rush hour in the Kalahari, the hour after rainfall in the Amazon, and low tide on Australia's coral reefs
- With France TV attached, the series now has a trio of prominent public broadcasters on board, and Fremantle is shopping it to buyers this week at Sunnyside, the docs-focused festival and market
- Fremantle's Al De Azpiazu, SVP Distribution for French and German Speaking Europe, Italy, Spain & Portugal, called the time-led concept a strong draw for international broadcasters, citing the presale as evidence of demand
- France TV's Caroline Behar, Head of International Coproductions and Acquisitions, framed the series as a 'distinctive proposition' promising 'a bold aesthetic journey but also an ecologic consciousness awakening' for French audiences
- The series was commissioned by BBC's Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, with Tom Watt-Smith as Commissioning Editor for Natural History and Diana El-Osta as PBS Executive in Charge of Production
Why it matters: France TV's commitment gives the four-part series public-broadcaster backing across three major English- and French-speaking markets ahead of a 2027 premiere, strengthening Fremantle's hand as it pitches the show at the Sunnyside docs market this week. The time-led concept — built around fleeting biological moments across the Kalahari, the Amazon, and Australia's coral reefs — is being positioned by both Fremantle and France TV as both cinematic and ecologically urgent.
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