In a co-production first, the show will launch across BBC AMERICA and the BBC’s international channels network and is the first original commission to be announced for BBC Brit – the new male-skewing factual entertainment channel due to launch in several worldwide markets in 2014.
Hosted by Brits Tom ‘Wookie’ Ford and Jonny Smith, two real-life friends and U.K. car journalists, the daredevil pair work as rival team captains, accompanied by two fellow car enthusiasts. Together they have 24 hours to mutate, supersize or reconstruct ordinary vehicles and engage in perilous and humorous competitive stunt challenges shot in California.
Ordered by Perry Simon, General Manager, BBC AMERICA and Tracy Forsyth, VP Commissioning, Original Content BBC Worldwide, the series will be executive produced for both by Julie Swanston. Forsyth commented: “We’re so pleased to be working with our BBC AMERICA colleagues on this original co-production, giving our car hungry viewers around the globe, a turbo-charged, stunt-packed ‘carmageddon’, with the unmistakable British humour of Wookie and Jonny at the wheel.”
Simon added: “Mud, Sweat & Gears is a perfect fit for BBC AMERICA’s Top Gear-driven Monday night line-up, where we’ve built an audience that loves joining clever hosts engaging in humorous challenges and activities. BBC Worldwide Productions has created a series to showcase the talents of hosts Wookie and Jonny, and will be delivered to a global audience through our partnership with BBC Worldwide Channels.”
Nathaniel Grouille is executive producer and show runner for the series and Trice Barto is executive producer. Michael Brooks and Jane Tranter are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions.
Mud, Sweat & Gears follows in the footsteps of Wild Things S2 with Dominic Monaghan, a second series co-production partnership from BBC Worldwide‘s global channels arm and BBC America.
This latest co-production announcement is part of BBC Worldwide’s commissioning strategy to deliver 100 hours of original programming to its BBC branded channels by 2014. Recent commissions include: Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London (BBC Bristol), Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Cosmopolitan Cities (BBC Bristol), Factomania (360Production), Best in Town (Mox Productions), Million Dollar Intern (Outline Productions), Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill (Furneaux and Edgar Productions), Come Dine With Me South Africa (Rapid Blue) plus from the BBC’s in-house production teams; Dara O Briain’s Science Club, Stargazing and Food and Drink.
