National Geographic has signed a first-look deal with Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning production company Muck Media for unscripted series and specials.
Muck and National Geographic have previously collaborated on “Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller,” which is nominated for nine Emmys at the 2023 News & documentary Emmy Awards. In “Trafficked,” van Zeller investigates shadow markets, criminal organizations and trafficking networks around the world. The unscripted series has just been picked up for a fifth season ahead of its Season 4 premiere slated for early next year.
Additionally, National Geographic will premiere “Science Fair: The Series” on Dec. 10. Available next day on Disney+ and Hulu, the series is a spinoff of the feature documentary “Science Fair,” directed by Muck Media partners Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster.
“National Geographic is synonymous with adventure, curiosity and exploration, which are at the core of Muck’s approach to storytelling,” said van Zeller, Muck Media’s co-founder, in a statement. “From quirky teenagers studying science to black market operators and everything in between, Nat Geo has been so incredibly supportive of our work. We are deeply grateful and beyond excited for this opportunity to push our creative partnership to new bounds.”
Other Muck Media partners include journalists and filmmakers Jeffrey Plunkett, the showrunner for “Trafficked,” and Alex Simmons. Muck’s recent credits include documentaries, such as “American Pain,” “Mucho Mucho Amor” and “Menudo: Forever Young.”
“I’m a huge admirer of the work that Muck Media does – journalistic, stylish, thought-provoking and contemporary,” Tom McDonald, National Geographic’s executive vice president of global factual and unscripted content, said in a statement. “It’s thrilling to be deepening our working relationship further with this first-look deal.”
