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BBC2 to screen Coast Australia

Coast Australia will have a screening on BBC2 in the UK, the channel where the original format was conceived.

2013-12-18_2121Foxtel’s Coast Australia, co-presented by historian Neil Oliver, will have a screening on BBC2 in the UK, the channel where the original format was conceived.

The 8 x 1 hour series explores the diverse Australian coastline, focusing on the history, people, archaeology, geography and marine life and is produced by Great Southern Television.

The first episode on Monday 2 December, pulled the History Channel’s largest ever audience with an average of 163,000 and 234,000 including replays.

Jon Penn, Managing Director of BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand, said: ‘We’re so pleased to be able to take a brilliant BBC format like Coast, produce a local version with our partners Great Southern and the original host, and to see it find its way back on to BBC Two. It’s a great example of BBC Worldwide maximising the potential of the BBC’s landmark content to benefit both UK and international audiences, and it’s the ultimate boomerang story.”

Phil Smith, Managing Director of Great Southern TV and Executive Producer of Coast Australia: “We have treated the Coast format with the ultimate respect, endeavouring to replicate the intelligence and charm of the great UK series. We deliberately kept the format close to the UK version and used the presenter Neil Oliver, who is a familiar face to viewers in the UK and Australia.

“We are certain the UK audience will appreciate this amazing insight into Australia’s glistering beaches, underwater footage and sunshine – as we beam in HD a much needed dose of Vitamin D into homes in Britain during the winter months.

“It is spectacular and fascinating, and also shows parts of Australia from above, in HD, for the first time. Australia put on its Sunday best whenever we arrived with cameras. Sunshine, glistening beaches, incredible underwater footage. It really did behave. We are extremely proud of the series, it is a privilege and a responsibility and I hope BBC viewers see a wee bit of Australia they might want to visit one day. At the very least, they will learn so much more about this wonderful way off nation.”

3 Responses

  1. It got 78k this Monday night in the overnights.

    Its a Great Southern TV production with Foxtel and BBC Worldwide.

    BBC Worldwide have supervising EP credits for it, along side Foxtel. They own the format, put money in and have the worldwide distribution rights.

    It was originally planned as S8 of Coast UK but ended up as S9 and was announced for the end of December in the UK ages before the History channel announced when they were going to screen it.

  2. Well this is a first for Foxtel, programming filmed in Australia but only available in HD when exported. This has been a key problem with FTA for years (namely sports coverage) but now it’s finally obvious to everyone that Foxtel is falling behind launching HD feeds. Last I heard there are free transponders on Optus D3 to be rented yet Foxtel seem to be waiting for Optus 10 to launch next year which is just rediculous.

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