MDA, Beach House, Lonely Planet Plan New Series

CANNES, October 14: Lonely Planet Television (LPTV), Beach
House Pictures (BHP) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) are
collaborating on a new 13-part travel series.

Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled is being produced in conjunction with broadcaster
National Geographic Channels International and distributor BBC Worldwide. It
features real-life Lonely Planet
authors on the job as they search for unique travel experiences.

“Everybody thinks being paid to travel is one the best gigs
in the world but at Lonely Planet we know it’s a really tough job,” said
Laurence Billiet, the head of Lonely Planet Television. “In this series for the
first time on television we’ll reveal behind-the-scenes what it’s really like
to be a Lonely Planet author.”

The show will premiere on the Nat Geo Adventure channel in
2009 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Australia, Asia, Latin America,

Africa and the Middle East. A cross-platform initiative, the
new series will be supported by a website showcasing the itineraries featured
in the TV series as well as complementary Lonely Planet destination content and
travel services. Over time, the multiplatform franchise is expected to span
DVD, mobile and web TV.

“Lonely Planet is a
cultural icon well-loved by many all over the world,” said Dr. Christopher
Chia, the CEO of the MDA. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Beach House to
co-produce with well-known international partners who share the same vision of
delivering quality content on multiple platforms to the global audiences and
showcase the world’s best travel experiences to the world.”

—By Mansha Daswani