Smithsonian Channel & Earth Touch Team on Wildlife Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C./LONDON/DURBAN: Smithsonian Channel and Earth Touch have struck a deal to co-produce two films and a three-part series in the wildlife genre.

The co-productions include the one-hour specials Big Snake Squeeze and Desert Megapride. Big Snake Squeeze follows the daily life of a 20-foot-long African Rock python. Desert Megapride follows a large pride of lions in the forbidding Central Kalahari Desert.

The pact also encompasses three episodes of Fishing for Giants, which follows Andy Coetzee as he hunts underwater predators. The three Fishing for Giants episodes are “The Dogtooth,” “The Swallower” and “The Fangfish.”

David Royle, the executive VP of programming and production at Smithsonian Networks, commented: “Smithsonian Channel is committed to bringing the world’s best natural-history programming to our growing audience—programs that soar, startle and surprise. Earth Touch are wonderful filmmakers, and we greatly value this continued partnership. They know how to capture the drama and wonders of the natural world in exquisite detail—and with astonishing visual richness.”

Chris Fletcher, the director of sales and programming at Earth Touch, added: “The team at Smithsonian Channel continue to support Earth Touch’s original, adventurous and world-class programming, and we are looking forward to seeing this relationship flourish further in the coming year, resulting in a fresh crop of world-class factual television.”