PRESS RELEASES

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PREPARES TO DRAIN THE OCEANS, SOLVING MODERN AND ANCIENT MYSTERIES IN NEW 10-PART SERIES FROM MALLINSON SADLER PRODUCTIONS AND ELECTRIC PICTURES

Wed Mar 07 2018 19:50:00 GMT+0000 (UTC)

(WASHINGTON, DC – March 7, 2018) Using ever-advancing underwater scanning systems, National Geographic today announced it will Drain The Oceans in an upcoming 10-part factual series. Combining the latest scientific data with state of the art digital recreations, the co-production with the UK's Mallinson Sadler Productions and Australia's Electric Pictures reveals the full scope of the shipwrecks, treasure, sunken cities, geology and technology at play on the floor of lakes, seas and oceans around the world, solving riddles that have long lain buried beneath the waves. The series will premiere globally in 2018 on National Geographic in 172 countries and 43 languages.

Hamish Mykura, Executive Vice President and Head of International Content for National Geographic said, "We had several successful stand-alone Drain The Oceans specials that, one after the other, resonated with audiences all over the world, so we're very proud to be diving into a full series commitment. Spanning the globe, this ambitious new ten-part series offers novel story-telling as it explores the world's oceans with innovative technology to investigate astonishing mysteries like what happened to the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370; how the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affected global data in "the cloud; and why one of the biggest treasure hauls off Florida was spread across the seabed for miles."

Crispin Sadler of Mallinson Sadler Productions said, "After working with National Geographic on numerous fantastic shows, I’m delighted to be joining forces with the network and with my friends at Electric Pictures to take this winning formula to a whole new level. Who hasn’t stood on a beach and wondered what you’d see if the tide just kept on going out? The beauty of this series is that…now it does! We love it for its simplicity and the refreshing way it brings new light to maritime mysteries old and new."

Andrew Ogilvie of Electric Pictures said, "I am thrilled to be joining Crispin, the team at MSP and National Geographic, to produce this landmark series. By combining resources, we are able to harness the skills and experience of some of the most talented television professionals in both the UK and Australia to produce a very high-quality series that will delight audiences wherever it is shown. It is a truly global project that takes the ‘draining’ technique of using CGI to peel back the ocean, and other large bodies of water, to reveal what lies below and applies it on a much larger scale than has been seen before."

Ghostly shapes beneath the waves are revealed in all their stunning glory in Drain The Oceans, as the water is removed from the picture to tell the story of how vessels sank, how modern technology operates in inhospitable climates, what ancient geological formations can tell us about life on Earth, where Nazi secrets now reside and why so many continue to search for the legendary city of Atlantis. Cris-crossing the globe, the series visits the China Seas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mediterranean, the Nile, the Pacific Rim, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea in its quest to explain natural wonders and man-made catastrophes.

Drain The Oceans is co-produced by Mallinson Sadler Productions and Electric Pictures for National Geographic. For Mallinson Sadler Productions, the executive producers are Crispin Sadler and Mark Fielder. For Electric Pictures, the executive producers are Phil Craig, Andrew Ogilvie and Andrea Quesnelle. For National Geographic, Carolyn Payne is executive producer, Hamish Mykura is Executive Vice President and Head of International Content and Tim Pastore is President, Original Programming and Production.

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About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Nat Geo People) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of the world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now it is committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for consumers… all while reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month. NGP returns 27 percent of its proceeds to the non-profit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com. 

About Mallinson Sadler Productions
Mallinson Sadler Productions, based in Glasgow and Bristol has been producing high quality films in the areas of history and science since 2002. Headed up by documentary producer, Crispin Sadler, films with a maritime theme are a particular specialty, as was recognized by a Lifetime Achievement award from the Maritime Foundation. Many of these have been international co-productions with Canada, Germany, Sweden, France and Australia and amongst others include shows on the ‘Drain’ theme that have not only wowed audiences across the world but also collected many awards. Subjects covered: the Titanic, the Bermuda Triangle, World War 2, the Great Lakes of North America, Port Royal and San Francisco Bay.  Other shows include two series of Deep Wreck Mysteries, looking at shipwrecks off the coast of the UK, and Submarine Mission Impossible, the story of the exploits of an Australian submarine during the Gallipoli campaign, our first co-production with our colleagues at Electric Pictures.

About Electric Pictures
Electric Pictures is based in Perth, Western Australia with a regional office in Toronto, Canada. The Company has over 25 years of experience producing factual programming for the international television market. Andrew Ogilvie, founder and CEO, has built a worldwide profile with the production of award winning documentaries in a range of genres including history, science, human interest, adventure, and international affairs. Over the years the company has produced documentary programming for many of the world’s leading factual broadcasters in Australia, the UK, Europe, Asia and North America. It has partnered with producers in France, Italy, Canada and the UK. The company’s titles include: Cracking the Colour Code, Addicted to Money, Surviving Mumbai, The Hunt for HMAS Sydney, Submarine Mission Impossible, Jandamarra’s War, Winners Guide to the Nobel Prize, Super Flu: Race Against a Killer, Enigma Man-A Stone Age Mystery, The War That Changed Us and Aussie Gold Hunters.

IMAGES - https://rumpus.natgeonetworks.com/_006dgnVwpVhFZR

Contact:
Marcus Cammack, 202-912-3204, marcus.cammack@natgeo.com