U.K. factual outfit Zinc Media Group has been commissioned to reinvent and produce season 18 of the Qatar Foundation’s educational reality TV show “Stars of Science” in a $6 million deal that marks Zinc’s first major entertainment commission in the Middle East.
“Stars of Science,” which features Arab innovators and entrepreneurs looking to transform their ideas into inventions with the guidance of experts, is among the longest-running entertainment formats across the Arab world and the wider Arab diaspora.
“Zinc has been brought in to lead a full creative reset of the format, refreshing its storytelling and studio experience through the integration of AI technologies and broadening its entertainment appeal for a new generation of viewers,” according to a statement.
Andrea Hamilton (“The Voice,” “Strictly Come Dancing”) will executive produce the new season, “bringing large-scale entertainment expertise to the format refresh,” it added.
“’Stars of Science’ already has an extraordinary legacy and cultural relevance across the region,” Hamilton noted in the statement. “The opportunity now is to evolve the format for a new generation of viewers, bringing more scale, emotion, jeopardy and entertainment storytelling while keeping innovation at the heart of the show. We want audiences to connect not just with the inventions, but with the people behind them,” she went on to point out.
The next season of “Stars of Science” will be produced by Zinc’s label in the Middle East – The Edge, a Media City Qatar company – in both Arabic and English. Zinc Distribution is handling international sales and also overseeing the show’s marketing and communications strategy across 22 Arab countries and the global Arab diaspora.
Commented Faye Jackson, Zinc Media Group CMO: “This is a hugely important commission for Zinc and a major milestone for our Middle East business. Our new operation under Media City Qatar lets us bring the full firepower of Zinc to the region, premium production, entertainment expertise, international distribution and strategic communications, all working together behind one show.”
Zinc Media is known for a wide range of products ranging from the BBC’s BAFTA-winning prestige docuseries “The Death of Yugoslavia” to popular lifestyle and reality formats such as “Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour” and “Police Interceptors.” They operate a wide range of labels including Tern TV, Raw Cut, Brook Lapping, Red Sauce, Supercollider, The Edge, Tomos TV, Rex, Electric Violet, Atomic Television, Bumblebee and its global sales and distribution arm Zinc Distribution.
