Discovery Networks Asia Pacific has kicked off its new era under Arthur Bastings talking about 13 upcoming productions scheduled to air from this month to March 2016.
The shows will air on Discovery channel, TLC, Discovery Kids and Animal Planet.
All the programmes are made with either local production houses and crews or feature local talent. Discovery hasn’t said which are original commissions and which are sponsor-driven.
Eight of the 13 titles are for Discovery channel and three are for travel and lifestyle channel TLC. Discovery Kids and Animal Planet have one new original programme each.
The shows range from one-hour specials to 52-part animated kids series, The Insectibles, by Singapore-based production house One Animation. The Insectibles, which has been in the works for a year at least, will air on Discovery Kids.
Three of the new productions are out of Malaysia. These include one-hour special Sabah Earthquake Decoded, produced by Malaysia’s Matavia Reka; 10-part one-hour home science experiment series You Have Been Warned with Ean Nasrun, helmed by Malaysia production house Red Communications and hosted by Malay radio personality Ean Nasrun; and eight-part half-hour lifestyle series Kitchen Khakis, produced by Malaysia’s Double Vision and featuring local cooks Aaron Chen and Yang Lee Keong.
In Taiwan, Discovery has a few shows in the works – two three-part one-hour mini series, Taiwan’s Tribal Treasures and Taiwan’s Military Elite, and one 60-minute special, Taiwan Made. The third instalment of eight-part Kitchen Cook Off on TLC is also out of Taiwan.
Two shows are coming out of India, along with single programmes from Japan, Australia and New Zealand.