Beach House Pictures, a Fremantle label, has announced two new documentaries, Panda School, and Secret Weapons of China’s First Emperor.
Panda School (3×60) is a heartwarming docuseries that introduces a class of adorable panda cubs learning what it takes to survive in the wild, at a state-of-the-art facility hidden in the cloud forested mountains of China’s Sichuan Province. The series is narrated by stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Jimmy O. Yang, widely recognized for his roles in HBO’s comedy Silicon Valley and the blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians.
Jimmy O. Yang said: “I love Pandas, I love Chinese culture, and I can’t believe how much I’ve learned about these cute fluffy guys after narrating the show! It’s really one of the most fun jobs I’ve had! Panda School has all the drama of a coming-of-age story – with maximum cuteness overload.”
At Panda School, irresistibly cute cubs learn essential skills, from tree climbing to all the important techniques for eating bamboo. In this uplifting, playful and character-driven series, audiences are invited to discover the different personalities, including mischief makers and clingy twins to a tree dwelling loner nicknamed Dirtbag.
The facility also has maternity wards, 24/7 monitoring and semi wild mountain enclosures where keepers dress up as pandas. Graduates are prepared for release back into the wild, proving that at Panda School, every stumble, somersault and bamboo bite is part of a much bigger fight to secure the species’ future.
Panda School is produced by Beach House Pictures for Nat Geo EMEA in association with Fremantle who have global distribution rights, outside of Nat Geo’s territory footprint in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Series Director is Hannah Hoare. Executive Producers for Nat Geo are Nell Gordon and Drew Jones. Executive Producer for Beach House Pictures is Donovan Chan.
Secret Weapons of China’s First Emperor (1×60) is a visually spectacular documentary investigating the military innovations behind China’s first empire. With exclusive access in collaboration with China Media Group (CMG), the documentary uncovers the hidden arsenal that built and protected the empire.
More than two thousand years ago, Qin Shi Huang rose from regional ruler to become China’s first emperor, unifying rival states through conquest, organisation and revolutionary military innovation. Central to his success was an army transformed by new technology that changed how wars were fought. Stretching across 22 square miles, the emperor’s still-unexcavated burial complex remains one of the most secretive military sites in history.
Now, using immersive reconstructions and the latest archaeological discoveries, international experts reveal how mass-produced bronze weapons and standardised equipment allowed Qin Shi Huang to raise armies at unprecedented speed and scale.
Secret Weapons of China’s First Emperor, produced by Beach House Pictures (BHP) and China Media Group (CMG), will air in China on CCTV and in Australia on SBS. Executive Producers for BHP are Donovan Chan and Rob Sixsmith. Executive Producers for CMG are Han Wein (韩雯) and Tian Yuan (田源). Fremantle holds global distribution rights for the documentary outside of China.
Donovan Chan, Creative Director at Beach House Pictures, said “We’re always looking for stories that combine distinctive access with universal audience appeal. Panda School is an uplifting, endearing, character-driven series with humour and real emotional stake, following the cub’s journeys to tell a purpose-driven story about protecting an iconic species. Secret Weapons of China’s First Emperor achieves remarkable access along with cutting-edge archaeology to bring fresh insight to one of the most fascinating and consequential chapters in Chinese history. These documentaries reflect the breadth of storytelling we are proud to champion at Beach House Pictures, underscoring our commitment to telling premium factual stories that entertain, surprise and resonate globally.”
Today’s announcement follows news of a raft of recent commissions for Fremantle’s Beach House Pictures, as one of Asia’s largest independent TV & Film production companies. Recent slate commissions include 60 Day Hustle, a co-production with Sonic Gods bringing the hit Amazon US format to Singapore; The Longest Wait, a feature-length documentary following the Indonesian national football team; Ed Stafford’s Rite of Passage, a six part adventure series co-produced with Arrow Media; and Ski Dreams, documenting Singapore’s first professional alpine skiers journey to the Winter Olympics.
