BBC Studios announced that it has secured international pre-sales for Universe, a five-part science series from the makers of The Planets, alongside landmark natural history series The Mating Game from Silverback Films.

Universe takes viewers on an interstellar journey to places that we didn’t even know existed 10 years ago, revealing awe-inspiring wonders and recreating dramatic moments that defined Earth’s destiny – and our own. Using stunning CGI imagery, the latest scientific research, and archival footage captured during scientific missions, the series immerses viewers in the expansive and dramatic story of the universe, from its moment of inception 13.8 billion years ago, to what could be its ultimate fate, trillions upon trillions of years in the future.

Universe (NOVA Universe Revealed in the U.S.) is produced by BBC Studios Science Unit with NOVA and GBH Boston, for BBC and PBS, co-produced with Xigua Video and Bytedance, and is an Open University partnership.  The series has pre-sold to Denmark (DR), France (France Télévisions), Germany (ZDFinfo), Canada (Radio-Canada), Norway (NRK) and Russia (Yandex). BBC Earth channels across Asia, Canada, CEE, Middle East, Nordics, Poland, Africa, and Turkey will also be premiering the series.

From the producers of A Perfect Planet, The Mating Game (5 x 50’) is the story behind the most fascinating, hilarious and dramatic quests to find a mate and leave a lasting legacy. Exploring five different habitats across six continents, this series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, reveals the varied, fascinating and downright bizarre strategies different animals use to find a mate. It is the ultimate inside view on what it takes to succeed at the mating game.

Produced by Silverback Films for BBC and Discovery, co-produced with bilibili, France Télévisions and NHK, the series has pre-sold to Denmark (DR), Canada (Radio-Canada), Estonia (ETV), Spain (Movistar+), New Zealand (TVNZ), Lithuania (LRT) and Norway (NRK). The series will also premiere on BBC Earth channels across Asia, Canada, CEE, Middle East, Nordics, Poland, Africa and Turkey.

Louise McNab, Director of Content Sales for BBC Studios Global Distribution said: “What unites Universe and The Mating Game is the scale of their ambition, with the characters and storylines to rival any major drama series. These are shows that will further audiences’ appreciation of the world around them and beyond.”

Pre-sales for the series have been announced as BBC Studios opens BBC Studios Connect, a virtual destination for the business highlighting premium content on offer to international buyers during the MIPCOM period. Other premium titles on the BBC Studios factual slate includ: landmark natural history series The Green Planet, alongside insightful documentaries such as Scandalous: The Maxwell Saga (w/t).