BossaNova Media Orders More Mysteries of the Ancient Dead

BossaNova Media has greenlit a second six-hour season of Go Button Media’s Mysteries of the Ancient Dead.

The new season will feature three stories in each episode that reveal ancient civilizations’ attitudes toward death. It will cover the Nubian mini pyramids in Sudan, which allowed common people to be buried like pharaohs; the hanging burials of the Igorot tribe in Sagada in the Philippines, where coffins have been mounted in vertical graveyards for thousands of years; and more.

It will also explore the ancient Kurgan burial mounds for the rider-nomads of the Russian steppe and the cave child burials in Makpan, Indonesia, which involve strange post-mortem rituals.

The second season sees Canadian partner Super Channel return as commissioning broadcaster. BossaNova Media handles international distribution outside of Canada. The new season is set for delivery later in 2024.

“BossaNova’s first commission was Mysteries of the Ancient Dead back in 2022, as we could see that Go Button understood how to make it look top class, execute on time and on budget,” said Paul Heaney, CEO of BossaNova. “Second time around, we’re looking forward to more of the same! The team at Go Button is a polished operation that we trust.”

Daniel Oron, co-founder and executive producer at Go Button Media, commented, “With its compelling combination of science, mystery and ancient history, Mysteries of the Ancient Dead proved an extremely popular series and sold to many broadcasters, including ZDF in Germany and A+E Networks in the U.K. We thoroughly enjoy collaborating with Paul and the BossaNova team, and with science and history such established sweet spots for Go Button, we are thrilled to get this green light for a second season. BossaNova has fast gained a reputation for creating premium originals with wide-ranging appeal, so we are excited to produce additional content for its growing slate and proud to call them a partner.”

“Mysteries of the Ancient Dead has been a strong addition to our factual slate, and we had no hesitation in bringing another season of this compelling series to our viewers as part of our ongoing partnership with Go Button Media,” added Kim Ball, chief content officer at Super Channel. “Go Button consistently delivers high-quality, intriguing content, and this new season is sure to be no exception.”