HISTORY(R) GREENLIGHTS UNSCRIPTED SERIES "IN SEARCH OF" HOSTED AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY ZACHARY QUINTO
TEN PART SERIES INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL 'IN SEARCH OF' INVESTIGATES UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA WORLDWIDE
Produced by Propagate Content, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Before the Door Pictures with FremantleMedia International Distributing the Series Globally
New York, NY - January 30, 2018 - HISTORY greenlights the ten episode unscripted series "In Search Of," hosted and executive produced by Emmy-nominated actor Zachary Quinto (Star Trek, Snowden). Inspired by the iconic 1970s' franchise, the series will examine unexplained phenomena from all over the world. UFOs and paranormal mysteries remain relevant as the Pentagon recently acknowledged a secret UFO program which investigated sightings of UFOs from 2007 - 2012.
"I am so excited to be reimagining 'In Search Of' and exploring new questions and phenomena with all of the advancements in science and technology from which we have benefitted in the past forty years since the original series first aired," said Quinto. "In the spirit of my late dear friend Leonard Nimoy, we intend to honor and perpetuate his endless curiosity about the world - and universe - in which we live. Our director Eddie Schmidt and our partners at Propagate, Universal Television Alternative Studio and FremantleMedia International have ignited the process with enthusiasm and intelligence, and HISTORY is the perfect home for this unique and compelling series."
"In the '70s and '80s, the legendary Leonard Nimoy captivated viewers by transporting them through the world of unsolved mysteries and paranormal phenomena," said Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President of Programming, HISTORY. "To this day, the investigations conducted in this series remain relevant and a source of public obsession. Now with Zachary's passion and prevalence in the science fiction genre, the groundbreaking series is back for a new audience."
From the mythical to the scientific, each episode will follow Quinto as he investigates a different subject within a dynamic theme - such as alien encounters, mysterious creatures, UFO sightings, time travel and artificial intelligence - and searches for the truth to some of the world's greatest mysteries. "In Search Of" will explore enigmas told through the eyes of witnesses and scholars with a personal connection to the phenomenon and include immersive demonstrations and experiments that contextualize each episode's theme. The original "In Search Of" series aired from 1977-1982 and was hosted by Rod Serling and later by Leonard Nimoy following Serling's death.
"In Search Of" joins HISTORY's programming slate that includes one of its longest running nonfiction series "Ancient Aliens," which has reached over 47 million Total Viewers across total day in 2017, and upcoming scripted series "Blue Book." During season ten, "Ancient Aliens" ranked as ad-supported cable's #2 original series on Friday nights among Adults 25-54. Executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and starring Aidan Gillen ("Game of Thrones"), "Blue Book" will chronicle the true top secret United States Air Force-sponsored investigations into UFO-related phenomena in the 1950s and '60s known as "Project Blue Book."
"In Search Of" is produced for HISTORY by Propagate Content, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Before the Door Pictures with FremantleMedia International distributing the series globally. Quinto serves as executive producer. Ben Silverman, Howard Owens and Brett-Patrick Jenkins are executive producers for Propagate Content. Eddie Schmidt is also executive producer. Zachary Behr is executive producer for HISTORY.
About HISTORY(R)
HISTORY(R), now reaching more than 96 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network's all-original programming slate features a roster of signature series including Pawn Stars, American Pickers, The Curse of Oak Island, Alone as well as the hit drama series Vikings and SIX. The HISTORY website is located at history.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/history and Facebook at facebook.com/history.
About Propagate
Founded in 2015 and spearheaded by Co-CEOs Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, Los Angeles-based Propagate develops, produces and distributes programming built upon great stories spanning all genres, including premium scripted series, long-form, unscripted and formats, to broadcast, cable, digital and emerging platforms worldwide. One of the world's fastest-growing independent content creation companies, Propagate's portfolio includes Apple's first original series, "Planet of the Apps" featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, will.i.am, Jessica Alba and Gary Vaynerchuk, and Twitter's first entertainment series, "#WhatsHappening." Other projects include "Lore" for Amazon, based on the hit podcast and co-produced with Gale Anne Hurd's Valhalla Entertainment; "Chris Webber's Full Court Pranks" for TruTV; "The High Court" for Comedy Central featuring comedian Doug Benson; "Unprotected" for Oxygen; "My Partner Knows Best" for Lifetime; "Evil Genius" for HISTORY; "My So-Called Simple Life" for FYI; and "Animal ER" for National Geographic Wild. Scripted projects include "Charmed," "In the Country We Love," "Jumpmen," and "Exhibit A," all for CBS; "Let's Stay Together" for ABC; and "Red Team" for Amazon. Propagate's website is http://propagatecontent.com/.
About Universal Television Alternative Studio
Launched in 2016, Universal Television Alternative Studio is a leading supplier of hit unscripted content and alternative formats and creates, develops and produces a diverse slate of original series domestically and internationally. The studio's most recent breakout hit and the #1 new series of 2017 is "World of Dance," starring and executive produced by Jennifer Lopez. Additionally, the studio is responsible for Chris Hardwick's high-stakes game show "The Wall," which has been sold into 17 territories internationally and has become the highest rated game show of 2017 in France on TF1. The hit series "Better Late Than Never" ranked as the #1 new summer series of 2016 and returned for season two with more fun, comedy and adventure in 2018. Hosted by Emmy winner Jane Lynch, "Hollywood Game Night" has been sold internationally in 15 countries and will begin production on its sixth season in 2018. Upcoming series include Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman's "Making It" and Chris Hardwick's "The Awesome Show" for NBC. Universal Television Alternative Studio is a division of NBCUniversal. For more information, please visit Universal Television Alternative Studio.
About FremantleMedia International
FremantleMedia International (FMI) is the global distribution division of FremantleMedia, one of the leading creators, producers and distributors of television entertainment brands in the world. The division is responsible for global sales across Linear Television, Digital and Home Entertainment platforms of finished content, format sales in non-production territories as well as acquiring and developing new programmes for the international market. In addition to the world-class FremantleMedia production families around the globe, FMI works with the highest calibre creative talent, producers, channels, licensees and studios to create, finance and distribute the best content in the business. FMI's catalogue contains more than 20,000 hours of content; a diverse and exciting range of programming spanning drama, comedy, factual, lifestyle and entertainment. Managed by a powerful distribution network spanning nine international offices and supported by a best-in-class brand management team, FMI's content has sold to more than 150 countries around the world. For more information please visit www.fremantlemedia.com.
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