Leading global creator, producer and distributor Fremantle has acquired the global distribution rights for Atlantic Productions’ innovative new documentary Earth: A Year in Orbit, narrated by English actor, Robert Lindsay. Using stunning satellite imagery and expert insights, this documentary uncovers the hidden truths behind 2024’s biggest headlines. This is the story of our year on earth. The UK title, 2024: The Year From Space will air on Channel 4 toward the end of the year.
Through awe-inspiring satellite images from space, Earth: A Year in Orbit presents the year’s major headlines as never seen before, giving viewers a global, interconnected perspective on the events shaping our world. Each key story is unpacked through news archive, user-generated material, and commentary from experts and key witnesses back on Earth to bring the incredible images to life.
In 2024, nature’s power was on full display. The documentary captures moments such as the April solar eclipse that cast 44 million people into near darkness. While captivating from the ground, only from space can the true scale of the event be appreciated, as a 115-mile shadow swept across the globe. Equally striking, viewers will see the destruction of a cargo ship crashing into Baltimore bridge. The damage caused is so extensive that it can be seen from hundreds of miles above the Earth. The film also chronicles the year’s extreme weather events, with the destructive effects of climate change visible in every corner of the earth – from the enormous floods that hit Kazakhstan, to the devastating hurricanes that hit the Caribbean and the Philippines. From space, global tensions and rising instability are unmistakable, from the devastating toll of the Ukraine war to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
From major national elections, dramatic solar storms and devastating wildfires, to pioneering spaceflights and earth’s breathtaking beauty, we gain a powerful new perspective on our world.
Céire Clark, Senior Acquisitions Manager, International, Fremantle, said: “This documentary captures a remarkable year on earth from a perspective most of us very rarely get to see. Acquiring Earth: A Year in Orbit aligns with our goal of bringing thought-provoking content to the market that is truly global.”
Anthony Geffen, Executive Producer, Atlantic Productions, said: “Very few have ever had the chance to witness our planet from space, but now we are thrilled to bring the astronaut’s perspective to a wider audience. Every day, millions of images are sent back to Earth, capturing the breathtaking beauty and delicate fragility of our ever-changing world, shaped by both nature and human actions. It’s only by seeing Earth from space that we can fully appreciate its true wonder.”
Earth: A Year in Orbit is narrated by English actor Robert Lindsay (Sherwood, My Family). The documentary is directed by Ben Harding and executive produced by Nick Catliff and Anthony Geffen and, senior producer Lina Zilinskaite. In the UK, the documentary will be broadcast with the title 2024: The Year From Space on Channel 4 later this year. The commissioner for Channel 4 is Jonah Weston. Fremantle is handling global distribution.
