"Ancient Autopsy"
BossaNova Media, the content creation, funding and distribution company, has acquired the rights to three new premium documentary series, which will be unveiled to international buyers at next month’s MIPCOM content market in Cannes.
Headlining BossaNova’s MIPCOM slate is an innovative historical investigation series fronted by respected British historian, academic and presenter Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. "Ancient Autopsy" (4 x 60 mins), produced by new BossaNova creative partner Yeti Films and pre-bought by Channel 4 for More4, goes in search of the truth behind the deaths of four towering historical figures: Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tutankhamun.
Drawing on rare ancient sources, cutting-edge technology, cinematic reconstructions and hands-on experiments, Lipscomb and forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd set out to answer some of history’s most intriguing questions: is it true that Cleopatra died from a snake bite? Was Alexander the Great poisoned? What really caused the sudden end of King Tut? And did Genghis Khan’s final moments involve… marmots?
History and mystery also collide in "Red River Gold" (12 x 60 mins / 26 x 30 mins), produced by Canadian production company 3 Story Pictures for APTN. Now heading into its second season on the Canadian indigenous people’s broadcaster, the series joins Métis treasure hunters on their search for a trove of gold. In 1870, a shipment of gold coins from the Royal Mint of England vanished without a trace. Intended to help crush the Red River Resistance — an uprising led by Métis’ leader Louis Riel — the coins never reached their destination. Rumours of betrayal and buried treasure have echoed down the years, but nobody knows what really happened. Now, more than 150 years later, a team armed with metal detectors, trowels, backhoes and the latest radar and imaging technology head for rural Manitoba to uncover the truth.
There’s more treasure on offer in Fredbird Entertainment’s "Gold Wars Down Under" (10 x 60 mins). The new series follows the successful formula pioneered by Fredbird in "Adventure Gold Diggers," which launched on 7mate Australia in 2023. "Gold Wars Down Under" follows three hardcore mining teams as they battle it out on one patch of gold-rich land to see who can unearth the biggest nuggets and the most gold in one season. The miners act as the show’s narrators, drawing viewers into the risky but potentially super-rewarding world of alluvial gold mining. The series is set in the remote town of Clermont which, with estimated gold reserves of A$750m and the gold price trading at a 10-year high, is the scene of a modern-day gold rush.
Claire Runham, BossaNova Media’s head of acquisitions, reflected on the company’s line-up: “If there’s one genre that never gets old it’s mystery — and if you can combine mystery with history, so much the better. 'Ancient Autopsy' delivers that formula brilliantly, along with another winning ingredient: celebrity. Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, King Tut, Suzannah Lipscomb… Who could resist? 'Red River Gold' also focuses on an historical mystery but with the added excitement of a modern-day treasure hunt. And if audiences love a mystery, they possibly love gold even more, which is why we’re confident that 'Gold Wars Down Under' will come up tops with MIPCOM buyers," stated.
Related News
