Factual

Woodcut Media and its distribution arm Woodcut International have unveiled Ancients: The Greatest Finds (6 x 45’), a new factual series commissioned by BBC Select and currently in production. The series is scheduled for delivery in December and will be presented to buyers at the upcoming MIPCOM market. The series explores how archaeology has transformed our understanding of the ancient world across a 4,000-year period that began with one of humanity’s greatest turning points: the transition from mobile hunter-gatherer communities to settled societies.

Across six episodes, Ancients: The Greatest Finds explores six defining themes: Cities, Belief, Warfare, Innovation, Exploration and Entertainment. Each instalment examines some of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries ever made, uncovering what they reveal about the way ancient people lived and how their societies evolved.
Woodcut Media’s André Holzinger serves as series producer, with Kate Beal and Tom Adams as executive producers. The series was commissioned by Michael DiMattesa for BBC Select, with the deal brokered by Sophie Judge for BBC Studios Distribution and Diane Tripp for Woodcut International, which is handling worldwide sales.

Michael DiMattesa, Head of Programming & Content Strategy, BBC Select, said: “BBC Select audiences have a proven appetite for comprehensive, definitive histories. This series pairs that editorial approach with a highly returnable format, inviting audiences back each episode to explore key societal themes through some of archaeology's greatest discoveries. We are excited to partner with Woodcut Media on this authoritative guide to the ancient world.”
André Holzinger, Series Producer, added: “Archaeology offers a fascinating window into the ancient world, revealing how different cultures and societies lived, believed and shaped their world across the ages. We are delighted to be working on such a fascinating series, exploring remarkable stories from across the globe, from the Maya ball game at Chichén Itzá in Mexico and Tutankhamun in Egypt to Pompeii in Italy and Dura Europos in Syria.”