Factual

It was announced today that Fremantle has partnered with natural history giant True To Nature Productions on Whale with Steve Backshall. Following the global success of Backshall’s Expedition series and Shark with Steve Backshall, Fremantle will handle the global distribution for the immersive blue-chip series and present it as part of their London Screenings lineup on 3, March at BAFTA. Sky recently announced the series will air on Sky Nature in the UK this Autumn. Since November 2021, when the series premiered, Shark with Steve Backshall has reached an audience of 3.3m across Sky Nature and Sky Showcase to date.
Whale with Steve Backshall will uncover the truth about whales and dolphins in the three largest oceans; with input from scientists and conservationists, the series will also reveal some world firsts, scientific discoveries and new filming techniques that will captivate audiences.

In this brand-new, blue-chip natural history series, adventurer and conservationist Steve Backshall takes us closer to the lives of whales, dolphins and porpoises than ever before.

We join Steve’s thrilling, first-hand, freediving encounters with mighty Sperm whales and intelligent, caring humpback whales; smart but deadly Orcas; ingenious Bottlenose Dolphins across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Using cutting-edge technology, from Diver Propulsion Vehicles to tiny, high-quality drone cameras and split-rig cameras to film above and below the surface simultaneously, Steve and the team capture never-before-seen behaviors and get closer than ever to these magnificent animals.

All this is interwoven with compelling contributions from pioneering scientists and conservationists, shedding brand new light on the incredible diversity & intelligence on show in family and social groups. Examining how these species overcome the challenges of overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction, Whale with Steve Backshall explains why whales, dolphins and porpoises are essential to the health of our oceans and reveals what we can do to ensure their survival.

Angela Neillis, SVP Non-Scripted Content, International at Fremantle said: “True To Nature have done a first-class job of delving into the lives of these fascinating mammals that are often shrouded in mystery. Shark with Steve Backshall was a huge hit with audiences on Sky Nature and Whale with Steve Backshall is set to repeat that success and blow audiences’ minds. Fremantle are proud to be collaborating with True To Nature and Steve Backshall once more – and for nature fans, this series will be unmissable!”

Dr Wendy Darke, Founder & CEO at True To Nature added: “There is no-one better to take us on an ocean voyage of discovery of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises than Steve Backshall, sharing his world-class wealth of knowledge, expertise and passion for these awesome marine mammals, who are surprisingly like us. Innovation is at the heart of this premium series for Poppy Dixon and Sky Nature in both storytelling, filming and sustainable production techniques. True To Nature are delighted to be working with Angela Neillis and her world-class Fremantle International team in bringing Whale with Steve Backshall to the world.”

Whale with Steve Backshall is a True to Nature and Sky Studios production which is directed by Ellen Husain and Tom Whitworth, and executive produced by Wendy Darke. Simon Nash is series producer. Fremantle have the global distribution rights for the series.

Fremantle is behind docuseries Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne (Naked, a Fremantle label, Milkshake Productions), Kingdom of Dreams from Misfits, the team behind McQueen and premium feature documentary Kim’s Video (Fremantle, Carnivalesque Films) which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January.