Media Release: Tuesday, March 1, 2016
oast Australia with Neil Oliver commences production on season three
And new co-presenter Dr Dean Miller is introduced
Foxtel’s hugely successful factual series Coast Australia, presented by internationally renowned British archaeologist and television presenter Neil Oliver, has commenced production on season three.
The first two seasons of Coast Australia achieved record ratings for the HISTORY channel – the launch episode was the second-highest rating (non-sports) program on Foxtel in 2013, and season two was the highest-rating factual series on Foxtel in 2015.
Each episode of season three will showcase a different strip of Australia’s spectacular coastline over eight x one hour episodes, as Neil Oliver and his team of co-presenters gather stories about the history, the people, the archaeology, the geography and the marine life, investigating interesting and little-known facts along the way.
The regions explored across each state this season include Port Lincoln, Botany Bay, Portland, Esperance, King Island, Newcastle, Far North Queensland and North Kimberley.
Foxtel’s General Manager of Factual Channels, Jim Buchan said “It’s a real thrill to bring a third series of Coast Australia to our HISTORY audience, who’ve demonstrated how much they love their history to be presented in this contemporary, colourful way. The show gives viewers a fantastic opportunity to experience parts of our rich, diverse continent they may not have seen before.”
Throughout the series, Neil will again be joined by some of Australia’s leading experts in their field: palaeontologist Professor Tim Flannery, historian Dr Alice Garner, marine ecologist Professor Emma Johnston and landscape architect Brendan Moar, as they set out to capture the incredible diversity around the edge of a young nation built on an ancient land.
Also joining the Coast Australia presenting team this season is Australian marine scientist, journalist, filmmaker and global adventurer, Dr Dean Miller.
Dr Dean has travelled the world extensively through his work as a marine scientist, from researching fur seals in the Antarctic, to polar bears in the Russian Arctic and tiger sharks in the Great Barrier Reef. His passion for Australia’s natural landscape will see him uncover some incredible stories this season – with some action-packed adventures along the way.
Coast Australia is commissioned by Foxtel and produced by Great Southern Film and Television, with the format licensed from BBC Worldwide ANZ. It is based on the BAFTA Award-winning BBC series Coast, which has been broadcast in the UK and internationally for the past ten years.
The first two seasons of Coast Australia aired on BBC2 in the UK to great success.
Season three of Coast Australia will air on Foxtel’s HISTORY channel in early 2017.
-Brad