Back2back wins trio of orders

Brighton-based back2back Productions has announced a new action adventure series set to air on UKTV’s entertainment channel Dave, and BBC Earth next year and both Scrap Kings and Unexplained: Caught on Camera have been renewed for Quest and Really.

Exploration Volcano (WT) (8×60’) explores the most active lava volcanoes on Planet Earth. The series has received pre-investment from UKTV thanks to a deal brokered by acquisitions manager Daniel Thomas. Richard Acton has ordered the show for BBC Earth

Exploration Volcano is presented by ‘extreme volcanologist adrenaline junkie’ Christopher Horsley, a volcano access specialist, photographer and expedition guide. Local teams on the ground at volcanoes across the globe, from DRC to Nicaragua, Ethiopia to Philippines are in pre-production ready to start filming in early 2021. Horsley appeared in back2back’s third season of World’s Deadliest Weather for BBC Earth. Adventure filmmaker Caroline Menzies is series producer on the new series with Hat Trick International managing global rights to sell the show internationally.

Back2back’s Scrap Kings and Unexplained: Caught on Camera have also been renewed. Quest has ordered a fourth and fifth season of Scrap Kings, which is set to roll out on the factual, entertainment and lifestyle channel in January 2021.

Commissioned by Quest’s Jamie Watkins, Scrap Kings follows a colourful cast of demolition experts. Distributed by Discovery Networks International, the two new seasons are fully funded by Quest. It will again be executive produced by Notman-Watt for back2back and series produced by Nigel Gainsborough (Mega Shippers; Good Girl’s Guide to Kinky Sex).

back2back has also received the greenlight for 10 hours of paranormal content on the back of a renewal from Discovery’s Really channel. Pre-sales from Really and Discovery’s Travel Channel in the US will see back2back produce a second season of Unexplained: Caught on Camera (10 x 60 mins), which uses a clip-show format to explore creepy UGC footage, from poltergeist activity caught on mobile phones to ghostly apparitions on CCTV systems and car dash-cams. Unexplained: Caught on Camera is produced by Daniela Carson (Britain’s Horror Homes; Queer Britain) and is represented globally by Boat Rocker Studios. The new season of Unexplained: Caught on Camera is expected to TX on Really later this year.

All deals were brokered by David Notman-Watt, founder and managing director of back2back who will also act as executive producer on all the series.

Notman-Watt said: “It’s important to say that we’re proud and grateful that, in these uncertain times, we have been given the opportunity to bring an important and fascinating concept in action adventure and incredible new talent like Christopher to our screens. We’ll be documenting our ever-changing environments for scientific study, while pioneering the most innovative technology on the market. All three series are exceptional and will 100% repay everybody’s faith in them. Scrap Kings has become a broadcasting juggernaut. We’re fiercely proud of the show and delighted that Quest clearly feels the same way. Unexplained: Caught on Camera is also a belter of a show: while we were making season one, no day was complete without one of the production team screaming at the UCG footage.’

Natalie Vinet, VP Global Sales Factual Boat Rocker Studios said: “Boat Rocker is delighted to be distributing another series of Unexplained: Caught on Camera. The show has spooked and terrified viewers around the world in equal measure and we look forward to surprising international buyers with even more unexplained paranormal phenomena.”