Discovery & BBC Ink Historic ‘The Red List’ Animal Documentary Deal

EXCLUSIVE: Discovery Communications is moving its headquarters to New York City next year and today the organization made public another change as well with a first of its time commission to the BBC.

The UK broadcaster’s Natural History Unit will make wildlife conservation documentary The Red List for the Rich Ross-led Discovery Channel. Set to air in 2020, the deal for the two-hour film is the very first time that there has been a non-BBC commission for the London-based public service broadcaster.

“From its earliest beginnings, Discovery has been a leader in bringing stories about wildlife conservation to audiences across the globe,” said Group President, Discovery Channel and Science Channel Ross today. “BBC’s Natural History Unit is the expert in creating content about the natural world. This collaboration couldn’t be more perfect.”

Produced and directed by Steve Greenwood, The Red List focuses on conservationists around the world as they attempt to catalog a new version of the comprehensive tally of global wildlife. First created in 1964 and under the umbrella of the London-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Red List has become widely accepted as a definitive tally of the status of species globally.

Discovery holds worldwide rights on its networks to now announced The Red List docu, which is currently in production from the Blue Planet and Doctor Who producing BBC Studios. John Hoffman and Jon Bardin are as executive producers for Discovery Channel.

“This third party commission from Discovery heralds a new dawn for BBC Studios and is a really exciting moment in the history of the BBC,” notes Mark Linsey, Director, BBC Studios on Tuesday. “On top of that, The Red List is being made by BBC Studios’ world-renowned Natural History Unit so will be unmissable television,” he added. “I couldn’t be more proud of Lisa Opie and Julian Hector and his team at the NHU.”

Today’s announcement comes just under a year after Linsey was appointed to his gig and the refurbished BBC Studios unit pivoted to a commercial business strategy to produce for broadcasters in addition to the 1922 founded BBC.