What’s Ahead in U.S. Factual

TV Real provides a snapshot of some of the major programming announcements from U.S. factual networks to come out of the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour.

Prompted by a NASA flyby of Pluto over the summer, space seemed to be all the rage last year for U.S. factual networks—and the trend shows no sign of abating in 2016, with both National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel greenlighting major specials focused on the heavens.

Earlier this month, Nat Geo announced a partnership with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky for One Strange Rock, an event series produced by Nutopia and Protozoa Pictures. The project will use innovative micro and macro photography to film 100 weeks around the world and in outer space, exploring what it is about Earth’s history that made it a suitable cradle for life.

“With the superbly creative minds and talents of Darren, [executive producer] Jane [Root], [showrunner] Arif [Nurmohamed] and [executive producer] Peter [Lovering], we’re going to transport the viewers on a mind-bending and thrilling visual adventure that will amaze and surprise,” said Courteney Monroe, the CEO of National Geographic Global Networks.

Nathaniel Kahn, another Oscar-nominated director, is tackling the great beyond for Discovery Channel with the film Telescope. Produced by Radical Media in association with Crazy Boat Pictures, the special takes an inside look at the making of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which could potentially find signatures of life on planets far outside our solar system. The title will launch February 20 on Discovery Channel before airing the next day on Science Channel.

On February 21, Science Channel is also broadcasting a sneak peek at the third season of NASA’s Unexplained Files. The Wag TV production explores mysterious images taken aboard NASA spacecraft while investigating the latest evidence for life beyond Earth.

“Science Channel is the home to more space programming than any other network, from awe-inspiring tours of the solar system to series like NASA’s Unexplained Files, revealing and exploring the many mysteries that space has to offer,” said Marc Etkind, the network’s general manager.

But subjects a little closer to home are also on the agenda this year. Nat Geo has partnered with World of Wonder to develop the tentatively titled Original Sin: How Sex Changed the World, a six-part series that will take a frank look at how sex has become more visible, impacting the internet, advertising, politics, education and the media. It will use archival footage, animation and interviews with experts to uncover the ways sex has affected humanity and how society has changed in the past half century.

TLC will also be exploring issues of love and society, albeit in a less explicit way with Single Dad Seeking… (working title). Due out in the spring, the Bray Entertainment title will follow five single fathers searching not just for a soul mate, but for a partner willing to love their kids as well. The men will eventually meet five women who could end up being the love of their lives.

Additionally, the ever-popular crime genre will continue to find a place on network programming slots. Discovery Channel premiered earlier this month Killing Fields, its first true-crime series, which takes viewers inside an active criminal investigation as it unfolds. Sirens Media produced the title for the network, with Emmy-winning producer Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Street) and Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man) executive producing.

Investigation Discovery, meanwhile, has greenlit an exclusive Front Page special about the Steven Avery case featured on Netflix’s popular series Making a Murderer. Slated to air later this month, the special will present critical details surrounding the notorious murder case. The channel teamed up with NBC News’ Peacock Productions to turn out the project.

“We are excited to share with viewers the latest in this compelling saga,” said Henry Schleiff, the group president of Investigation Discovery, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “Following our investigation, we expect that Front Page: The Steven Avery Story will present crucial testimony and information that addresses many of the questions surrounding Steven Avery.”

Other crime titles slated to air on Investigation Discovery include Blumhouse Productions and Radical Media’s Judgment Day: Prison or Parole?, a three-parter chronicling the emotional process of parole hearings that’s due out this spring; and Hate in America, a docuseries delving into the case files of the hate-crime experts at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Produced by Peacock Productions, the first episode of the latter series is set to roll out on February 29, with other chapters screening throughout the year.

Also getting in on the true-crime action is American Heroes Channel (AHC). On January 17, the network is airing the two-hour world premiere of Justice for MLK: The Hunt for James Earl Ray, which features never-before-revealed details about the hunt for the killer of the civil-rights leader. Then on February 17, AHC debuts its new series American Lawmen, which tells the stories of famous outlaws through the perspective of the men and women who picked up a badge in order to establish order.

On the lighter side, Science Channel debuted this month the latest season of Outrageous Acts of Science, a showcase of internet clips focusing on human ingenuity, while Animal Planet is prepping for the February 7 broadcast of its Puppy Bowl XII. That event launches this year with a virtual reality supplement that gets viewers up close and personal with the furry players.

And the supernatural genre gets another factual commission this year, too, with Destination America going for the six-part series Paranormal Lockdown from Groff Entertainment. Out March 4, the show will see ghost-chaser Nick Groff and spirit-hunter Katrina Weidman living for 72 hours in some of America’s most haunted locales.

“As valued fixtures of the paranormal community, Nick and Katrina have years of thrilling investigation under their belts and join the Destination America family with huge support from their fans,” said Jane Latman, the channel’s general manager. “Overnight explorations are staples of ghost hunting, but Paranormal Lockdown supersizes the suspense in a round-the-clock, multi-day investigation that has never been conducted before on a paranormal TV series.”